Love, Loss & Family
by livs2write
Summary: When Harm's cousin comes to town, Harm and Mac learn a lot about love, loss and what it means to be a family. I suck at titles and summaries, but I hope you enjoy it!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story takes place after the episode 'Hail and Farewell', but assumes that it was a going away party for Harriet~ the Admiral is still in charge at JAG, and it takes an A/U course after that, though it assumes some of the episodes from season 10 took place- just with Admiral Chegwidden in charge, instead of General Creswell.

Disclaimers: Not that it's of any use, but they're not mine. I would have made them much happier… and the show would still be on! This is, of course, all in fun; no infringement intended.

**11:06 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie looked up when a knock sounded on her office door and smiled at the man standing there. "What can I do for you?" she asked.

Commander Harmon Rabb returned her grin. "Hey, Mac, are you going to have time to meet with me about the Wilson court martial after lunch?"

Her smile slipped and she sighed. "No, sorry. I'm up to my neck in the Beaumont case and I have three filing deadlines for the Mendez Article 32."

Harm's smile vanished, but he nodded. After a moment, it returned. "Hey, it's Friday… why don't we get together for dinner later and then we can discuss it?"

Mac thought it over for a moment. It would be close, but if she could finish before she left tonight, they could get the Wilson case out of the way and free up her weekend. "Yeah, that sounds good. Your place or mine?" She realized how that sounded and tried not to blush. "Um, I meant…"

Harm chuckled. "I know what you meant. Actually, why don't we go out for dinner and then we can head back to my place and get some work done?"

Mac smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Great. I'll pick you up at your place at nineteen hundred. I know this great little Italian place we can go." He waited for her nod of affirmation before turning and heading back to his own office. If he finished up his paperwork, he'd be free for the weekend once they'd discussed the Wilson case.

Mac took her paperwork and headed downstairs to the filing office. After that she had to make a stop at the library to double check a reference to a case from a few years ago for her defense of Petty Officer Beaumont. Once that was accomplished, all she had left was her meeting with Harm and her weekend would be hers. The day had passed quickly as she worked to get everything done, and she knew it was almost time to secure for the day. She didn't notice the girl that stepped off the elevator looking a bit lost as she wandered into the bullpen.

Petty Officer Coates came around the corner and noticed the girl. Smiling, she moved around to look at her and was surprised to see she was pregnant… at least six months, by the look of her. "Can I help you?" she asked the girl.

Gray-blue eyes looked a bit startled a moment and then relaxed slightly. "I'm trying to find Commander Harmon Rabb?"

Harm was standing at the far end of the bullpen, his back to the elevators, speaking softly to Bud Roberts. He'd finished up his work and was just going over some notes for a case they were defending starting on Monday. He looked up and turned around when he heard his name and his eyes widened. "Bud, I'm sorry… excuse me?" He barely noted Bud's reply as he stepped away from the surprised Lieutenant. "What are you doing here, young lady?" he asked sternly, barely suppressing a smile.

The girl looked up and grinned, rushing forward, only to be caught up by two strong arms and spun around. "Harm!"

Harm carefully set her down and took a step back. "Um, you look a bit different than the last time I saw you."

The girl looked around nervously at the group of people surreptitiously watching them. "Can we talk somewhere? Privately?"

Harm nodded and motioned for her to precede him into his office. Closing the door, he showed her a seat and then he moved his chair around and sat across from her. "What are you doing here Harmony?" he asked.

"Oh, Uncle Harm! I don't know what to do! You're the only one I have to turn to." Harmony said.

"Take it easy," Harm said, taking her hand. "Start at the beginning." He nodded towards her extended abdomen. "How about starting with this?"

Harmony released his hand and placed her palm on her tummy. "Well, I'm obviously pregnant."

"Obviously," Harm agreed, smiling slightly.

"I got married last year, to a Marine," she said. "He got shipped over to Iraq just a few months after the wedding, and then I found out I was pregnant shortly after that."

"How'd he take the news?" Harm asked.

"He was ecstatic. He couldn't wait to be a dad…" a tear slipped from her eye. "He was killed four weeks ago when a RPG hit the truck he was traveling in."

"Oh, Harmony, I'm so sorry," Harm said, laying a hand on her arm.

"Thanks. We knew it could happen, but I still wasn't as prepared as I thought I'd be."

Harm nodded. "No one is."

"It wouldn't be so bad, but… well… now…" she sighed and then looked him straight in the eyes. "Harm, I'm dying."

Harm stared at her in shock for a moment as his world narrowed and grew suddenly dark. When it finally righted itself, he swallowed hard. "What?" he finally managed.

"I started having problems a few months ago, so my doctor ran some tests on me. I have cancer."

Harm's eyes filled with tears. "Harmony… can they… is there anything they can do?"

"If they'd caught it earlier, maybe. But it's an aggressive cancer that has already started taking over my liver, spleen and one kidney. In another month or so it will have spread even more. The doctor said that we could deliver the baby now, but even with radiation and chemotherapy, it will only slow it down, and the baby might not survive. If I carry the baby as long as possible, she has a better chance of survival…"

"But you don't," Harm finished for her.

Harmony nodded. "Either way, there's nothing they can do for me."

"Is the cancer a danger to the baby?" he asked.

"Only that it makes it likely that I'll have to deliver early. It hasn't spread into my uterus yet, and the doctor is watching her very closely. If there's any sign of stress, they'll take her right away."

Harm absorbed this for a moment. "How is your husband's family taking the news?"

"He doesn't have any family. He was an only child of two only children. His parents and grandparents are all dead."

"I'm sorry," Harm said, again. "What can I do for you? How can I help?"

Harmony smiled sadly and took a deep breath. "Uncle Harm, you're the only family I have left." She looked him in the eyes. "I've thought long and hard about this, and I want you to adopt my baby. I want you to raise her for me."

Harm momentarily forgot to breathe. When he did, he sounded as shocked as he felt. "Me? Are you sure?"

Harmony smiled. "Absolutely sure. You don't have to answer now, we do have a little leeway, but please don't wait too long. I need to know this is taken care of before my time is up."

Harmony left a short time later, telling Harm that she was going back to her hotel and would call him in the morning.

Harm closed the door to his office after she left and sat heavily in his chair, lost in thought. This was the last thing he'd been expecting when he saw Harmony on the other side of the bullpen. Sighing, he glanced at his watch. It was time to secure for the night, and he had to get home and change or he'd be late picking Mac up for dinner. Standing up he gathered the files he'd need for tonight's discussion on the Wilson case, placing them in his briefcase. Then he grabbed his cover and put it on his head, switching off the light as he left his office and closed his door. He was distracted enough that he missed the looks from his coworkers as he headed towards the elevators.

**18:57 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Mac had just slipped on her shoes when the knock on her door sounded. Her internal clock told her it was eighteen-fifty-seven, but she checked the peephole to be sure before opening the door for Harm. "Right on time," she smiled. "This has to be a first."

Harm answered with a smile of his own. "Hey, I'm not _always_ late. Ready?"

Mac nodded. "Let me grab my purse and briefcase."

The drive was longer than Mac expected, but they arrived by nineteen-twenty-six and Harm held the door open for her as they entered the restaurant. They were seated almost immediately, and the hostess took their drink orders before handing them menus and disappearing.

"Did you meet your filing deadlines today?" Harm asked, as he nodded to the young man that set their drinks in front of them.

"Yeah, but just barely," she said, sipping her iced tea. "I'll be glad when these two cases are finished and then I can concentrate on the Wilson case."

Harm nodded in agreement. "I finished all of my other cases, except for the trial that starts Monday. Once that's settled, Wilson will be it for me as well. How close are you to finishing up?"

"That depends on whether or not Mendez will accept the plea bargain Sturgis laid out for him. It's really his best shot to avoid brig time."

Harm nodded. "Have you decided what you want yet?" he asked, indicating her menu.

"Yep. You?"

"Mmmhmm."

The waitress arrived a few moments later and they placed their orders. She promised to return shortly with their dinner salads and then disappeared after taking their menus.

"So, how is Mattie doing? Does she like being back home with her dad?" Mac asked.

"She's doing well. She's happy to be home, but she says she misses me. I try to do things with her on the weekends whenever possible, but I'm also trying to encourage her to spend time with her dad. They have a lot of mending to do between them," Harm told her.

Mac reached across the table and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I know that has to be hard on you. You really care about her and I know it was difficult for you to let her go, but you really are doing what's best for Mattie in the long run. I'm proud of you."

Harm looked up at her and gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Mac. It means a lot to me to hear you say that."

"I'm glad," she said, releasing his hand and taking another sip of her tea.

"How is Chloe? She's a Sophomore in High School isn't she?" Harm asked.

Mac sighed. "Yeah. It seems like just yesterday she was standing in the bullpen at Christmas telling everyone I was her mom, and now…" she sighed. "She is growing like a weed. Her grandparents adore her, and her dad is taking a three month personal leave to spend just with her. They've gotten to spend some time together, but not nearly enough. I think it will be good for both of them."

Harm nodded just as the waitress brought their salads.

They chatted amiably over dinner, laughing and talking like the two old friends they were, but Mac could tell that something was on Harm's mind. As the waitress took their plates and offered them the dessert menu, she decided to call him on it.

"Harm, you've been kind of distracted all evening, what's on your mind?" she asked.

Harm looked up from the menu, trying to look innocent. "Huh?"

Mac set her menu down. "Come on, Harm, this is me you're talking to. I can tell something's been on your mind all night. I'm willing to listen if you want to share."

Harm paused, then sighed and set his menu down as well. "I had a visitor this afternoon."

"Oh?" Mac asked.

"I think I should start by telling you about my cousin, Harmony."

Mac looked confused. "You have a cousin named after you?" Mac asked, surprised. "How old is she?"

Harm nodded. "She's nineteen. Her dad was my dad's cousin. I was there the day she was born. Before she was born, her parents were trying to decide on a name, and since Harmon is an old family name, they asked my mom if she'd be offended if they named a girl Harmony. She told them she'd be honored, and when she was born, they dubbed me 'Uncle Harm'. Of course, at age twenty-one I wasn't so sure 'Uncle' was a name I wanted to be saddled with, but I was out voted, so I tried to take it all in stride."Mac laughed slightly as Harm waived off the offer of dessert and thanked the waitress for the check. "How long did it take you to get over being apprehensive?" she asked, the minute the waitress was gone.

Harm looked right at her. "Not long. The minute they brought that tiny little bundle all wrapped in pink and laid her in my arms, I was hooked. I doted on her. It was like having the little sister I'd always dreamed of. From then on I was thrilled. They decided to make me her godfather."

Mac smiled at the mental image of Harm holding a pink bundle and being enthralled.

"It was always hard for me to leave her behind, but I was in the Navy and she and her parents lived near my parents' home and I wasn't around much at all. Except after my accident. After I went to stay with my grandmother, I asked if Harmony could come and stay on the farm with me for awhile during her summer break. I loved having Harmony there as much as I hated it. But she's part of what kept me going."

Mac smiled again and nodded. She gathered her things and waited for him to pay the bill, before they headed out into the night. Harm opened the door of his SUV for her, and then waited until they were on the way to his apartment to start talking again.

"Tell me more about Harmony," Mac said, trying to stir him from his thoughts.

**20:42 EST**

**En route to Harm's Apartment**

Harm smiled at her. "She was a handful. Sassy, smart and such a tomboy. She loved to help me do chores on the farm and she asked a million questions." Harm said.

"What happened?" Mac asked.

Harm glanced at her. "I went to law school and got busy trying to start yet another career in the Navy. She graduated from High School two years ago, right before her parents were killed in a car crash, and then went off to college for a semester."

Mac nodded as they pulled up to Harm's apartment. Once they were upstairs and Harm had gotten them drinks, Mac turned on the sofa to face him. "So, why'd Harmony come to see you today?"

Harm took a drink from his bottled water and then set it on the table. "She got married last year, to a Marine."

"Good choice," Mac said, smiling.

Harm grinned slightly. "I knew you'd approve. Only, he went to Iraq and got himself killed about a month ago."

Mac's smile fell. "Oh, Harm… I'm sorry."

"That's not the worst of it. She's pregnant and she has cancer," he said, softly.

Mac's eyes were wide as she absorbed this. "How bad?"

Harm jumped up from the couch so suddenly it startled her, but Mac quickly regained her balance and watched him pace. It was bad.

"She's going to die, Mac," he said, stopping by the sink and looking with sightless eyes out the window.

Mac stood and moved to put her palm on his shoulder. "And the baby?"

Their eyes met in the glass and Mac could see the tears in his. "She wants me to adopt it."

Mac absorbed this for several moments, their eyes still locked. When she finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "What did you say?"

Harm looked skyward and then squeezed his eyes shut. "I didn't say anything. She didn't give me the chance. She told me to think about it and let her know and then we exchanged some small talk and she walked out of there…" He turned to face her and a tear rolled down his cheek. "She asked for my help and I just froze…"

Mac's heart was breaking. For Harm, for Harmony, for the situation. "Harm, I'm sure she understood. It's a lot to take in… maybe she realizes that. How do you feel about the idea of adopting her baby?"

Harm accepted the tissue she handed him and wiped his eyes and nose and then took a deep breath. "Funny thing about that… a little more than a year ago I wouldn't have even considered it. But since Mattie…"

Mac smiled at him. "Maybe this is why Mattie came into your life; to help prepare you for this."

Harm looked into Mac's eyes and nodded, smiling slightly. "Maybe." He took another deep breath and pulled her into a strong embrace. "Thanks, Mac."

She hugged him back. "You're welcome."

They stood there like that for several minutes before Harm finally spoke. "I've missed this. Being able to talk to you about anything and everything. It seems like whenever the world is falling apart at the seams, you're there to hold me together. It's one of the things I love most about you."

Mac froze. Love? Um, sure… yeah, okay. Like a sister or a best friend, or…

"Mac?" Harm asked, sensing the sudden tension in her. "I- Are you okay?"

Mac pulled away slightly and looked him in the eyes, forcing a smile. "Yeah, fine."

Harm noticed the tears in her eyes and realized what she must be thinking. He looked into her eyes for another moment, opened his mouth to say something, and then did the last thing either of them expected.

He kissed her.

**21:06 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac was taken by surprise when Harm kissed her. She kissed him back, hesitantly at first, while her mind flashed on all of the reasons why this was wrong, why things between them could never work out.

But ever since things went south between her and Clayton Webb, her heart had been pulling her more and more towards Harm. In every relationship she'd had since she'd known him, she had always compared her companion to Harm, even if it was only subconsciously, and not one had ever measured up to the handsome aviator-turned-lawyer. So maybe she should listen to her heart for a change and take a chance with Harm. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer to her and gave Harm the silent signal he needed to deepen the kiss.

Harm kissed Mac tentatively, cautiously waiting to see what she would do. If she tried to pull away, he would let her go. He'd be disappointed, but he wouldn't push her. He could sense the hesitation in her and was about to pull away, when Mac wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with a firm, sure kiss. Smiling inwardly, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Nothing had ever felt so right in his life. Well, except being in the pilot's seat of a Tomcat, that is.

The kiss took on a life of its own, and before long Mac was unbuttoning Harm's shirt as she slowly pulled him towards the bedroom. She'd denied her feelings for him for far too long and she decided that it was time to stop worrying about the 'what ifs' and just let herself love him.

Harm felt Mac's hands undoing the buttons on his shirt as she led him towards the bedroom and he paused for a moment, partly to catch his breath and partly to look into Mac's eyes. "Mac, are you sure about this? Absolutely sure?" he asked in a voice hoarse with desire and raw with emotion.

Mac paused a moment and then looked at Harm with a firm resolve in her eyes and expression. "Absolutely."

**08:13 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac awoke to the sound of the telephone ringing and sighed, turning in the warm embrace that enfolded her and reaching for the phone. "Hello?" she answered, somewhat groggily.

"Um, hello? Is Harmon Rabb at this number?" a female voice asked.

Mac smiled. "Hold on a moment, please."

She turned again and looked up into Harm's peacefully sleeping face. She hated to wake him, considering they hadn't slept much at all last night, but knew that the person on the phone must be Harmony, as he'd told her last night that he was expecting her to call this morning. She knew he wouldn't want to miss this call. Kissing him lightly on the jaw, she nudged him with one hand. "Harm? Harm, telephone."

Harm groggily accepted the phone and put it to his ear. "Yeah, this is Rabb."

Mac listened to his side of the conversation and decided that the caller must, indeed, be his cousin. When he said goodbye and leaned over her to hang up the phone, Mac smiled up at him. "What time is she coming over?"

Harm looked down at her and returned her smile. "Around fourteen hundred." Grinning lecherously at her, he leaned down and kissed her before caressing her face. "We've got plenty of time."

"Oh? Well, in that case…" Mac replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her for a deep, thoroughly satisfying kiss.

**13:18 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Harm had taken Mac home to shower and change before Harmony came over to his place. Mac had insisted that he leave her and she would drive over after she was ready. They still hadn't discussed the Wilson case at all, but she knew that the situation with his cousin was more important to him for the moment.

She had asked him if he wanted her to stay away while he and his cousin talked, but he insisted that he wanted her there with him, and, more importantly, he wanted Harmony to meet the woman he loved.

She was almost ready to go when suddenly, on a whim, she decided to pack an overnight bag to take to Harm's. As soon as she was finished, she headed down to the parking garage and loaded her things into her car and left for Harm's apartment.

**13:58 EST**

**Outside Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac stepped off of the elevator and saw a girl standing in front of Harm's door. She smiled as she realized that it must be Harmony. "Hello," she said, walking up and extending her hand. "I'm Sarah Mackenzie. You must be Harm's cousin, Harmony."

Harmony looked surprised, but was kept from answering when the door opened and Harm smiled out at them.

"Hey there; come on in, you two," Harm said, opening the door wider for them.

They both entered the apartment and Harmony turned to face Mac, extending her hand. "Sorry, you surprised me out there. Yes, I'm Harmony; I'm glad to meet you, Ms. Mackenzie."

Mac shook her hand and smiled warmly at her. "Please, call me Mac."

"Mac?" Harmony asked, surprised.

Harm chuckled. "Mac is a nickname; she's a Lt. Colonel in the Marine Corps," he said, kissing Harmony on the cheek and then pulling Mac close for a quick kiss. "Have a seat," he said to them, as he headed for the kitchen. "Can I get either of you anything to drink?"

"What do you have?" Harmony asked, sitting in a chair by the woodstove.

"Apple, tomato or grapefruit juice, bottled water, beer, or iced tea," Harm rattled off.

"Apple juice is good," Harmony said, glancing at Mac.

"Water for me," Mac said, smiling at Harmony.

Harm moved into the living room and handed Harmony her juice and Mac her water, before sitting beside Mac on the sofa and twisting the cap off of his beer. "How are you feeling?" he asked Harmony.

Harmony sipped her juice and then sighed. "Tired. I don't have much energy these days."

Harm smiled sadly at her. "Have you talked to my grandma lately?"

"Yeah, I went and saw her before I came here. I told her what's happening, and she agrees that you're a good choice to raise my baby," she said.

Harm took a deep breath, gathering courage to ask his next question. "What kind of time frame did the doctor give you?"

Harmony sighed. "I'm at twenty-five weeks right now. Ideally, a full term baby is anywhere between thirty-eight and forty weeks. My doctor said our goal is at least thirty weeks, but the longer we can keep her in here, the better." She told him, rubbing her belly softly.

Harm swallowed and looked at Mac, who smiled encouragingly at him. "So, somewhere between now and about three months from now." He took Mac's hand in his, gathering courage from the gentle squeeze she gave him.

Harmony looked at their clasped hands and it gave her a glimmer of hope. She had seen the way they looked at each other, and she could tell that they were very much in love. If everything worked out, her baby might just have a mother and a father to love and raise her.

**15:12 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac looked at Harmony. "So you're having a girl?" she asked, smiling.

Harmony smiled softly and rubbed her belly again. "Yeah."

Harm was surprised that he had not picked up on that. "Have you thought of any names?"

Harmony's smile slipped. "I thought I should leave that to you… or whoever ends up raising her."

Harm moved closer and took her hand. "Have you thought of any that you especially like?"

Harmony's eyes teared up. "Miranda," she said softly. "It was Donny's mother's name."

"Miranda is a beautiful name," Harm told her, smiling. "Donny was your husband's name, I'm guessing?"

Harmony nodded. "Donald Jeffrey McMillan," she said.

Harm gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Tell us about him," he said, softly.

Harmony reached down and picked up her purse, pulling out some photos. She handed them to Harm, who looked at them and passed them to Mac. The photos showed Harmony and a young man with reddish-brown hair and dark eyes. His youthful smile added to his good looks, and they both looked very happy in the photos.

"We met while I was working at a pizza parlor in my junior year," Harmony told them, as they looked at the photos. "He came in and ordered fifteen cheese, fifteen Hawaiian, fifteen Supremes and fifteen vegetarian pizzas, all extra large," Harmony said, laughing. "I stood at the counter staring at him like he had two heads, especially when he asked if he could have them all in an hour…" she sighed. "When I finally pulled myself together enough to ask him what he needed sixty pizzas for, he told me he was buying them for movie night at his church and they needed them as soon as possible."

"Did he get them in an hour?" Harm asked, smiling.

"No. We got him as many as we could in an hour… I think it was in the ballpark of about half of them… and then I told him I would deliver the rest to him as soon as they were done. Since my shift was over when I dropped them off, he invited me to stay for the movie, so I did. We had a great time, and after the movie was over he asked me if I'd like to go out with him on my next night off from work."

"Obviously you did," Harm said, grinning at her.

"Actually, I didn't. I told him he'd have to wait until the following Sunday to take me out, but he said that he had church on Sunday, so that was out of the question… until he invited me to church. Then he said I could have dinner at his grandma's house with him afterwards."

Mac smiled at the girl as she blushed. "Was he in the same grade as you?"

"No. He had graduated the year before, and he was just on a break from a program called 'Master's Commission'. It's like boot camp for Christian kids," she explained. "He told me that once his year with Master's was up, he was enlisting in the Marine Corps. I told him the Navy was better, but he laughed and told me he hated boats."

Harm chuckled at that and looked over at Mac, who was smiling broadly.

"Anyway, we kept in touch via email and telephone, and when he was on his breaks he came to visit. Then when I was starting my Senior year, he went off to boot camp. Again, we kept in touch via emails and telephone. He graduated from boot camp, and had a small break before he was sent to Camp Pendleton, so he came and visited again. That's when he asked me to marry him," she said, smiling. "I was so excited… though Mom and Dad weren't as sure."

Harm nodded, remembering his cousin's parents. Her dad was proud to be part of a military family, but he would have wanted more for his baby girl.

"I graduated, and then Mom and Dad… well…" she paused a moment and sighed, as a tear slipped from her eye. "Just after you left, Donny came to see me at your parents' house, since it was so close to Pendleton. I cried with him for hours before he had to leave again. He made me promise to start college in the fall, just as I had planned, so I told him that I would only go if it was nearby, so we could still see each other."

Harm looked surprised. First, that she hadn't mentioned Donny to him the whole time he'd been there, and second, that his parents' had never said anything to him. Of course, it was right in the middle of his time with the CIA, and he wasn't the easiest person to get a hold of at that time.

Mac looked at Harm, surprised that he'd never mentioned it to her, but realizing that it was right in the middle of his time with the CIA, and since she was with Clay at that time, things between them had been strained, to say the least.

Harm looked at his watch and then did a double take. It was already nearing 17:30, and he was sure the women were as hungry as he was. "Hey, why don't we order in some pizzas and then continue this?" he asked.

Mac leaned over and kissed him. "You really know how to turn a girl on, Sailor," she whispered.

Harm chuckled and stood, heading for the phone. "So what do we want?"

"Meat!" Mac and Harmony said in unison, and then laughed at the look on Harm's face.

**18:45 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Harm lifted the lid of the pizza box and stared amazed. "You two polished off an entire extra large pizza by yourselves?"

Mac and Harmony shared a glance and then chuckled. "Hey, you know my appetite, and Harmony's eating for two," Mac said.

Harm sighed as he picked up the empty box and set it on the counter, before resuming his seat on the sofa. "Where are you staying, Harmony?" he asked.

"There's a hotel near Bethesda that charges a reduced rate if you're a patient there, so I'm staying there. It's just until I find a place of my own," she told him. "Speaking of which, I should get going; I'm really tired. I really enjoyed getting to visit with you both today. We'll have to do it again," she said, as she stood and gathered her purse.

"Count on it," Harm said, smiling at her and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Call me when you get to your hotel, so I know you're safe," he told her.

"I will. Good night, Mac; it was great to meet you. Good night, Uncle Harm," Harmony said, as she walked out the front door.

Harm waited until the elevator doors had closed before he closed the front door. Turning, he looked at Mac and smiled. "That was nice."

Mac smiled at him. "Yes, it was." She sighed, and then turned serious. "Have you made a decision yet?"

Harm moved to where she was and sat down, pulling her close. "I'm thinking I'm going to say yes, Mac, but it depends on you."

"Me?" Mac asked, looking up at him in confusion.

"Mac, I know we've only recently become a couple, but I'm really hoping that we're headed to something more permanent," he began.

Mac smiled, trying to calm her nerves. "So do I," she said softly.

"If I agree to adopt Harmony's baby, and we eventually get married, you'll be her mother. I know with your condition, it's going to be difficult~ maybe impossible~ for us to have children of our own. Are you ready for an instant family, Mac? More importantly, can you accept Harmony's baby as your own child?" he asked her.

Mac took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had been contemplating this same question since she woke up this morning. "Harm, you know how I said that the situation with Mattie may have happened to prepare you for this?" she asked.

"Yes," Harm said.

"Well… maybe my condition is part of that same plan. I mean, Little AJ just turned five, and if I could have a baby, we'd be expecting our own child right now. Then what would happen to Harmony's baby? Maybe fate, or God, or whatever, planned this all along," she said, turning to look at him. "Does that make any sense?"

Harm smiled lovingly at her. "Yes, it does. So, does this mean you want to be Mommy to baby Miranda?" he asked her.

Mac caressed his cheek gently. "I'd love to be Miranda's Mommy."

Harm pulled her close, and kissed her thoroughly. "I love you, Mac," he said, kissing her again. It was tender and sweet, and filled with all the love that he felt for her.

When they parted, Mac stood and took his hand, tugging gently until he stood, too. Smiling softly, she led him to the bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi all… I'm new to this site, so I'm still working out how to post. Hence, the first chapter was huge. This is my first JAG fic, though I've been a fanfic writer for eep! 20 years now. All mistakes are mine, as this has not be beta'd. Feedback is welcome! Please see chapter one for additional notes/disclaimers.

**01:38 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac turned over again and sighed softly. Her internal time sense told her exactly what time it was, but she couldn't seem to sleep. After she and Harm had spent a few hours making love, Harm had brought in the Wilson case file for them to at least go over and discuss. With a plan of action in mind, the two of them had once again made love before taking a long, hot shower together, and then settling in for the night.

Climbing quietly out of bed, Mac pulled on Harm's discarded t-shirt as she went out to the kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of milk, she bit into the piece of vegetarian pizza she'd retrieved, lost in thought.

She was fairly sure that she and Harm would be getting married sometime in the future. While she didn't know for sure when they would become engaged, she was pretty sure it would happen soon. This meant that either she or Harm would have to transfer out of JAG HQ, since they couldn't be married and serve under the same Commanding Officer.

Harmony's comment about needing a place of her own also had Mac thinking. With Harmony's deteriorating health, she was going to need someone nearby to take care of her, and she especially needed someone around if she went into labor. Also, neither Harm's, nor Mac's, own apartments were big enough to accommodate a baby, so once Miranda was born, they'd need someplace bigger.

Sighing, Mac quietly rinsed her glass and placed it into the dishwasher, and then stood looking out the window at the twinkling lights of the city. There was so much to consider, and not a lot of time to get things done.

This was how Harm found her when he came down the steps to find her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Mac leaned into his strong arms and solid chest, nodding. "Yeah, just… thinking," she said softly.

"About…" Harm said, slightly worried.

"About a lot of things. Harm, we have less than three months before we're officially going to become parents. Your apartment is great for a bachelor, and my apartment might be okay for a married couple, but neither apartment is good for a family," she said. "And I don't think Harmony should be alone for the duration of her pregnancy. Not with her health going downhill," she told him. "Maybe we should look into buying a house or, at the very least, getting a bigger apartment."

Harm smiled broadly. The fact that Mac was thinking about these things warmed him. "I agree," he said, kissing the back of her neck.

"You do?" Mac asked, turning in his arms to look at him.

"Yes, I do," he said. "Mac, you're right. Our apartments are too small for a family, and that's what I'm committed to: you, me and baby Miranda becoming a family, and Harmony, too, for as long as God allows. This apartment has been great, but it's more of a bachelor pad. I'm ready to move on to bigger, and much better, things."

Mac smiled at him, her eyes filling with tears. "What about the fact that one of us will have to leave JAG?"

Harm sighed. "Let's talk to the Admiral on Monday; maybe he has some ideas in that area. Even if it means that I have to leave again, if you want to stay, then I will. JAG, hell, even the Navy, isn't as important to me as you are… as having a family is. Not anymore."

Mac nodded. "You proved that to me when you left everything a year and a half ago," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't appreciate it the way I should have; the way you needed me to. No one has ever cared that much for me, and it scared me to death. I didn't think I was worth it."

Harm cupped her face in his hands. "You are worth that, and so much more. If I had to do it again, I would… in a heartbeat. Even if the outcome were the same. I love you," he said, kissing her tenderly. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I was going to plan a special dinner and all sorts of romantic things before I did this, but now feels right. Mac, will you marry me?"

Mac smiled, even as tears rolled down her cheeks and into his palms. "Yes. Yes, Harm, I'd be honored to marry you."

"You sure it's not too soon?" Harm asked, giving her a mischievous grin.

Mac chuckled. "Oh, you!" she said, pulling him close to her and hugging him for all she was worth. "What took you so long?" she whispered.

"I wish I knew," he answered. "I've been such a damned fool. Forgive me?"

Mac pulled back and looked into his eyes. "I already have."

Harm leaned forward and kissed her again, before picking her up and carrying her back to the bedroom.

**08:00 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Harm had gotten up at 07:00 and gone for his usual morning run before stopping at the corner market to pick up a few things for breakfast and a Sunday paper. As he opened the door to his apartment, Mac was just coming down the steps. "Good morning, sunshine," Harms said, smiling at her disheveled look.

Mac gave him a wan smile. "Coffee?"

Harm chuckled and nodded towards the kitchen counter where the coffee maker sat. "I made some before I went out for my run."

"Bless you," Mac said, pouring herself a cup and taking a long draught. "Mmm… that's better," she said, sighing.

Harm grinned as he pulled the items from the grocery bag. "I got cream cheese croissants and a fruit salad for breakfast," he told her. "Hope that's okay."

"Okay? Ham, it's perfect," Mac said, taking down a couple of bowls and saucers and setting them on the island in the kitchen while Harm retrieved the silverware they'd need.

As they ate, Harm pulled out the Real Estate section of the newspaper. "So, what kind of house are we looking for?" he asked Mac.

"Are you sure we want a house?" Mac asked, sipping at her second cup of java. "Not just a bigger apartment?"

"We can get an apartment if you'd like, but I figure we might as well buy a house now. The market is good, and with our combined resources, we could easily afford one," Harm replied. "What do you think?"

Mac thought a moment and then smiled. "I like the idea of a house. What do _you_ want in a house?"

"It has to be at least three bedrooms and two baths to start," Harm said. "I don't mind a fixer-upper, as long as it doesn't have any major damages to repair."

Mac nodded in agreement. "What about neighborhoods?"

"Well, we don't have to worry about school for at least five years, but I still want it to be safe. Something close to JAG would be okay, since I'm assuming one of us will stay on there," Harm told her.

Again, Mac nodded. "I'd like a fenced back yard; something that's not on a busy street. Definitely no pool for now, and I'd like a decent sized laundry room."

Harm grinned. He was thrilled with this discussion, and it showed. "What about a realtor? Do we want to use one, or do we want to do this on our own?"

"Why don't we see what we can find on our own, and if we don't have any luck in the next… three weeks… we can ask Bud and Harriet who their realtor was?" Mac suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Harm said, separating the real estate section into two. "You take this half and I'll take this one," he told her, handing her a ball point pen.

Mac smiled. "Okay. What price range do you think we can manage?"

Harm considered it for a moment. "Well, I have about sixty-thousand in savings, how about you?"

Mac blanched at that. "How in the world…?"

Harm shrugged. "The CIA paid pretty good, and since I don't have a lot of bills, I usually just save most of what I make. Plus, I had some investments that really did well for me," he explained.

Mac smiled, still surprised. "Hmm. Well, I only have about twenty-five thousand," she said, "and I'd like to keep at least that much saved for an emergency."

Harm nodded slowly. "I agree. Why don't we see what we come up with as far as houses go, and then we can go Monday or Tuesday evening and talk to a lender? Once we find out how much we'll qualify for, we can decide how much we want to actually spend."

Mac nodded her head as she turned back to her section of the paper, but stopped and suddenly took his hand. "I can't believe we're really doing this," she said, grinning brightly. "I love you."

Harm leaned forward and kissed her. "Believe it, Mac. I love you, too."

**10:02 EST**

**Somewhere in the DC area**

Two hours later, they were armed with a list of houses they were interested in. They had called ahead to most of them, making arrangements to view the homes, and planning to make a circle so that they would be back in DC by dinner time.

Harm had called Harmony and asked if she'd like to meet them for lunch when they got up to Bethesda, telling her they wanted to talk to her.

They spent the morning looking at houses, making notes on each one as they went through. They got to Bethesda around 11:00 and toured three houses, before they met Harmony for lunch at a local café.

Once they had all placed their orders, Mac looked at Harm and smiled, nodding towards his cousin.

"Harmony, Mac and I have something to tell you," he said, smiling at the girl. "We're getting married."

Harmony smiled broadly. "Harm, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, standing to hug her cousin and then moving over to hug Mac as well. "Have you set a date?" she asked, as she took her seat again.

Harm shook his head. "Not yet. We've also made a few other decisions, as well. First, we would love to adopt Miranda," he said, watching as a weight seemed to lift from his young cousin's shoulders.

"Thank you, so much," she said, her eyes tearing up. "I know you two will make great parents," she said.

Harm gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "We've also decided to buy a house, since neither of our apartments is big enough for a family," he told her. "We want you to come and live with us, as soon as we find something."

Harmony looked surprised. "You don't need to do that, Harm."

"I know; we want to. You're going to need all of the help and support you can get, especially since you are most likely going to get sicker," he said softly. "You're part of our family, and we want to take care of you."

This time, the tears fell from her eyes and she sniffled. "Thank you; both of you. That really means a lot to me. Can I help in any way?"

"Just take care of yourself and that precious baby," Mac told her. "We'll take care of the rest."

The waitress brought their orders just as Harmony smiled in appreciation, and they chatted amiably during lunch.

Harm and Mac told Harmony how they met, and a little about their history together.

Harmony told them more about her and Donny.

When they were finished with lunch, Harm looked at Harmony. "I'll have the adoption papers drawn up, so you can sign them ahead of time. Given the special circumstances, I don't think it will be a problem, but I'll make sure. But Mac and I want you to know, as long as you are still alive, you are Miranda's mother. We want to be her parents, but we want you to be here for her, more."

"Thank you, Uncle Harm," Miranda said softly. "I know I made the right choice."

They said their goodbyes and then Harm and Mac headed off to look at more houses.

**19:08 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac put her head back on the couch and sighed. It had been a long day, and they'd seen a lot of houses. Some were definitely not what they were looking for, but a lot of them were on the 'maybe' list. She'd seen one that she really liked, but she didn't want to jump into anything, so she thought she'd wait until they'd seen a few more houses.

"Tired?" Harm asked, sitting beside her on the sofa.

"Yeah. I haven't had much sleep the last few days," she said, grinning at him. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

Harm chuckled. "Good. How about I pack a bag, we can stop and get take out for dinner, and then we can go to your place to eat before we settle in for the night?"

Mac looked surprised. "You don't want me to stay here again?"

"I'd love for you to stay here again. But you don't have a uniform here, and I don't have a bathtub, and I'm thinking you need a long soak in a hot bath, before we snuggle up together to get some serious sleep tonight. We have a lot to do tomorrow, and we're going to need to be at our best."

Mac smiled at him. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" she asked.

"Hmm… not for at least an hour," Harm said, grinning.

Mac moved closer and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said. "Let me get some things together for tomorrow, and we'll head out."

Mac stood as well and re-packed the bag she'd brought with her the day before. She needed to wash some of the items, and the rest were toiletries she'd need in the morning.

In ten minutes, they were standing in the hallway while Harm locked his apartment door. Turning, he smiled at Mac and pulled her close for a toe-curling kiss, just as the elevator door opened.

Jennifer Coates stood there with wide eyes, watching her two friends, and superior officers, kissing each other rather heatedly. She cleared her throat and blushed furiously. "Excuse me, sir, ma'am," she said.

Harm pulled away from Mac and looked at the young Petty Officer. "Hello, Jennifer, how are you?"

Jennifer smiled nervously. "I'm good, sir; you?"

Harm looked at Mac with a smoldering look and smiled lecherously. "I've never been better." He nodded once to Coates as he took Mac's hand and led her to the elevator. "See you in the office tomorrow, Jennifer," he said, just before the doors closed.

Jennifer stood there with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I just want to thank everyone for their comments and praise. Please see first chapter for additional notes/disclaimers. Here we go…

**21:50 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Fed, bathed and extremely happy, Mac snuggled up to Harm and sighed in contentment. They had a lot of things to accomplish tomorrow, on top of their usual workload, but Mac was confident that they could, and would, get everything done. The biggest hurdle she could see ahead of them, was which one of them was going to transfer out of JAG HQ.

"Okay?" Harm asked, squeezing her tighter.

"Mmm… yeah," Mac said sleepily. "I've never felt this content in my life."

Harm smiled. "Good. Now go to sleep Marine. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"G'night Harm; I love you."

"G'night Mac; I love you, too."

**07:51 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Harm handed Mac a cup of coffee and they headed to the conference room to await the Admiral for the morning staff meeting. They were both aware of the stares they had received that morning from Bud, Sturgis, and a few others, and were sure that Jennifer had told them what she had seen the night before. They had agreed to shrug it off, ignoring it unless it became either too unbearable, or until someone asked them directly what was going on. In short, they weren't going to flaunt their relationship, but they weren't going to hide it, either.

The Admiral entered the room and they all stood to their feet, snapping to attention. At his gruffly muttered, "As you were," they all resumed their seats.

After the meeting was concluded, the Admiral stood and dismissed everyone, stopping to look at Harm and Mac. "I'd like to see the two of you in my office," he said.

"Aye, aye, sir," they said in unison, gathering their files and following the Admiral, stopping only long enough to place their files into their respective offices.

As soon as they stood outside the Admiral's office, Jennifer Coates nodded to them. "Sir, ma'am, you can go right in."

They walked into the office and stood at attention.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Harm asked.

Admiral Chegwidden looked up at his two officers and leaned back in his chair. "Have a seat," he said.

They slipped into the chairs in front of his desk and waited for him to speak.

"As you are aware, I usually try to ignore the office scuttlebutt, but today I overheard something that piqued my curiosity. Do you two have something you want to tell me about a change in your relationship?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

Mac glanced at Harm and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Well, sir, Mac and I are engaged," Harm said.

If the Admiral was surprised, he hid it well. "I see. Well, congratulations are in order, then."

"Thank you, sir," Harm and Mac replied in unison.

"Sir, we were going to come and talk to you later today, to let you know. Also, we need to make some decisions on which one of us is going to leave JAG HQ, and where we will go. We were hoping you might have some ideas in that area, sir," Harm told him.

"Any preference on which one of you transfers?" Chegwidden asked, curious as to whether or not these two could work that particular issue out. He wasn't about to tell them that he'd had a contingency plan for just this scenario in place for awhile, just in case his favorite senior lawyers ever decided to get their heads out of their sixes and realize what everyone around them already knew.

"No, Sir," Mac replied, before Harm could respond. "We'll leave it to you to decide what's best for JAG."

Harm glanced at her in surprise, and then gave her the briefest of smiles.

The Admiral didn't miss the exchange, but he didn't comment. If these two were finally communicating, and cooperating, he wasn't about to say or do anything to change that. "I'll see what I can do and let you know," he told them.

"Thank you, Sir," they again said in unison.

"Dismissed," Chegwidden said. The moment they were out the door, he allowed himself a smile, and a sigh of relief. "It's about damned time," he said aloud, before turning back to his paperwork.

"That went better than I expected," Mac said, glancing back at the Admiral's closed office door.

Harm smiled at her. "I don't know, Mac, I think he's been waiting for it; especially since… Paraguay."

Mac looked into his eyes a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. Pulling herself together, she took a deep breath. "Well, I have a lot of work to do, and you and Bud have court in twenty-six minutes, thirty-three seconds," she told him.

Harm chuckled and shook his head. "I still wish I knew how you do that. Join me for lunch?"

Mac grinned. "I wouldn't miss it," she said, as they separated to go to their respective offices.

Petty Officer Jennifer Coates smiled softly to herself. She was glad her two friends had finally worked things out, but she still wondered about the young woman who had visited the Commander on Friday afternoon. Scuttlebutt said that the Commander was the father of her baby, but Jennifer just couldn't see it. Harm was way too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a girl that was half his age.

**12:02 EST**

**Gardens outside JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac set the file folder she had on the table in front of her as she pulled out her lunch. She looked up and smiled at Harm as he took the seat across from her. "Hey Sailor, how is your day going?"

Harm sighed as he pulled his lunch from the same bag she'd taken hers from. "Slow. Are we going to be able to get together about the Wilson case this afternoon?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "Yep. Mendez wizened up and took the deal, so Wilson is it for me right now; well, other than the few admin cases the Admiral gave me to take care of. How was court?"

Harm rolled his eyes. "Our client is guilty as hell, Mac," he sighed. "But Bud and I are doing our damnedest to defend him. I hope Mattoni has a solid case, because so far we are beating the pants off of him."

Mac gave him a sympathetic smile and reached across the table to give his hand a gentle squeeze. "Don't let it bother you."

Harm smiled at her, before releasing her hand and taking a bite of pasta salad. "I'll try not to," he said. Noting the file folder in front of her, he nodded to it. "Is that for me?"

Mac smiled. "I actually had some free time this morning, so I went online and found some houses that we can go take a look at," she said, handing him the folder.

Harm pulled out the first page and read through the listing, doing so for each of the ones she'd handed him. "Wait… Clifton?"

Mac paused mid-bite and looked at him. "Too far away?"

"No… not from here, but it might be from Bethesda. If Harmony goes into labor, we'd be able to get her to a local hospital, and that's about it," Harm replied.

"I hadn't thought of that. Do you really think her doctor would allow her to go into labor on her own?" Mac asked. "From the sound of it, I don't think she's going to get far enough along to worry about that… oh, Harm! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," she said, seeing the sad look on his face.

"It's okay, Mac; you're right." He reached out and took her hand. "It's just so hard to think about, you know? She's so young… it just isn't fair."

Mac squeezed his hand. "I know, and I agree. But unfortunately, life isn't fair. We have to make the best of what we're given, and go on from there."

Harm looked into her eyes for a few moments, and then gave her a sad smile. "You're right; and this house sounds almost perfect," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and releasing her again. "Think we can go out and look at it tonight?"

"I'll call right after lunch," Mac said.

They talked a bit more while they finished their lunch, and then made plans to meet a 14:00 to start working on a defense for Wilson, before heading back inside and going about the rest of their day.

**17:47 EST**

**Residential Neighborhood**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm pulled up the circular driveway and parked in front of the house, and smiled. If the outside was any indication, this might be what they were looking for. Getting out, he walked around to the passenger side and opened Mac's door for her, helping her out of the car.

"This is beautiful!" Mac said, noting the perfectly trimmed lawn, the brick walkway lined with flowers, and the large oak tree shading the front of the house. There was also a small rose garden that had a pond with a fountain in the center on the side of the house, that you could see from the driveway.

Harm nodded in agreement, as they walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

A middle aged woman answered the door and smiled. "You must be Colonel Mackenzie and Commander Rabb," she greeted.

"Yes, ma'am," Harm replied, extending his hand.

She shook his hand before doing the same with Mac. "I'm Regina Calloway," she said. "I spoke with Colonel Mackenzie earlier today."

Mac smiled. "Yes. Thank you so much for meeting with us on such short notice," she said.

"Oh, not a problem. The house has been empty for nearly a year, so I hope you'll excuse the dust," Regina told them.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Harm asked warily.

"No, no… the owners were military, like yourselves. The husband was killed in Iraq, and the wife no longer wanted to live in the house, so she asked for an overseas transfer. Germany, I think," she said. "She finally contacted me about two months ago and asked me to put it on the market. It's been just sitting empty all of this time."

Harm nodded, saddened that yet another family was torn apart by the current state of world affairs. He had been glancing around while Regina was talking, and so far was impressed by what he saw.

Regina began the official tour. "Well, as you can see, this is the foyer," she said, motioning around them. "There is a coat closet here on my left." She walked backwards a few steps and motioned to her left again. "There's a den over here," she waited while they opened the glass doors and checked out the office.

The office was a good size, and it had a large picture window facing the rose garden with the pond and fountain. A built-in bookcase took over the wall to the left, which was painted white. The wall to the right, and the wall with the picture window, was painted a deep red color, while the wall with the glass doors and the ceiling were white. The carpet was a dark burgundy color, and the whole room had a comfortable feel to it.

Harm smiled at Mac as he allowed her to precede him back out of the office.

Regina motioned them ahead of her. "This is the living room," she said, as they walked into the main room. "It has a gas fireplace, and a bay window," she told them, allowing them to look around.

Mac smiled as she saw that the bay window had a bench seat. Walking over to it, she noticed that the bench seat opened up, allowing for storage.

Harm kneeled in front of the fireplace, inspecting it. "Does this have a flue?" he asked Regina.

"Yes, but the chimney was cleaned thoroughly when the fireplace was converted to gas, so it doesn't build up the way a wood-burning one does. I was told that it only needs to be cleaned once every five years, or so," Regina said. "All of the owner's manuals for the appliances and such come with the house."

Harm nodded and stood, looking around the rest of the room. It was spacious, yet cozy. Three of the four walls were painted a Wedgwood blue color, while the wall with the fireplace was entirely brick painted an off-white. The mantle above the fireplace was a sturdy oak, and the hard-wood floors matched the mantle.

Regina waited until they indicated they were ready, before leading them through the door near the fireplace.

They continued the tour of the house, again taking notes as they went. They liked that there was a guest bath downstairs off of the family room, and that an island and a small dining area was all that separated the kitchen from the family room. They liked the size of the two extra bedrooms upstairs. The upstairs bathroom was a good size, though the tile around the counter, and the tub/shower combo, needed to be replaced, as it was old and stained.

Regina showed them the master bedroom, which was very large. A set of wood and glass doors led out onto a balcony that had plenty of room for a small table and some chairs. There was a small recessed area inside the master bedroom that would be perfect for a cradle, and a changing table, as well.

They stepped into the bathroom and Mac gasped. A huge Jacuzzi tub sat in the corner, surrounded by frosted glass windows. There was plenty of space around the tub to place plants and/or candles. A separate shower was on the other side of the tub, and it, too, was extremely large. There was a long counter with plenty of cupboard space beneath it, that had double sinks and a huge mirror above it, and a door separated the toilet area from the rest of the bathroom. Another door led into a massive walk-in closet.

"I just have one more thing to show you downstairs," she told them, "before we go and take a look at the yard."

Harm and Mac followed her downstairs through the large laundry room and out into the three-car garage. A door on the smaller side of the garage led into a small apartment style room with it's own full bathroom.

"This was originally built as a mother-in-law's quarters," Regina explained. "The original owners of the house had it built for the wife's mother, who could no longer live on her own, but didn't want to go into a full-term care facility. It has a small kitchenette and sitting area, but also has easy access to the main part of the house. Best of all, it has its own entrance, either through the garage, or through the door on the outside."

Mac looked at Harm, her eyes speaking volumes. This would keep Harmony close enough for them to take care of her, yet allow her some privacy.

They followed Regina out to the massive backyard, with its many trees and lots of open space. A six-foot wooden fence allowed for privacy, a shed sat off in one corner to store tools and other things, and it had a large covered patio.

As they went back into the kitchen, Harm looked at Regina. "So, how much is the owner asking?"

Regina smiled. "Well, since she owns it outright, she's not asking as much as she probably could."

"She owns it?" Mac asked, surprised.

Regina nodded. "Her husband had a clause in the insurance that specified if one of them were to die, the house would be paid for. When he died in Iraq, the insurance paid off the house."

Mac nodded, somewhat sadly. "What ballpark are we looking at?" she asked softly.

"Well, the house appraised for five-eighty, but she's only asking five hundred," Regina said. "Since you two are first time buyers, as well as military personnel, there are some great programs that can help you get into a house."

Harm looked at Mac. "Could you excuse us for a few minutes, please?"

Regina smiled. "Of course; I'll wait outside."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Once again I'd like to thank everyone for the encouragement, and kind words! Please see chapter one for additional notes/disclaimers.**

**18:36 EST**

**Residential Neighborhood**

**Clifton, VA**

"Well, what do we think?" Harm asked, the moment Regina was out of earshot.

"I love this house," Mac replied. "It meets all of our qualifications, and the small apartment would be great for Harmony, but are you sure we can afford it?"

Harm took a deep breath. "I spoke with a lender this afternoon, and he also mentioned the programs Regina told us about. He says that with the sizeable down payment we can manage, in addition to the first-time buyer and military personnel programs, we can probably afford up to six hundred with a really reasonable monthly payment. So reasonable, we could almost do it on one income…"

Mac's eyes widened. "So we could save most of the second income? Harm, that would be amazing! Are you really sure we can do this?"

"I'm pretty sure. I want to have the house re-appraised and inspected before we officially make an offer, though. I don't want any nasty surprises once we move in. Is that okay with you?" He asked.

Mac hugged him. "That sounds like a great idea. Shall we go talk to Regina?"

They went outside an told Regina what they'd like to do, and she readily agreed, putting their minds even more at ease. Then they started back on the road towards DC. 

"If it's okay with you, I'm going to stay at your place again tonight," Harm said. "I'll cook dinner while you get a bath."

Mac smiled at him. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

Harm chuckled. "I thought it might."

**20:49 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Mac pushed her plate away and sighed. "That was wonderful," she told Harm. "If you keep that up, you're going to spoil me."

Harm leaned forward and kissed her. "I like spoiling you," he said. "You can cook tomorrow night, if you'd like, but I really don't mind cooking. It makes me happy to do things for you."

"In that case, you can cook as much as you want. I cook simply to survive; not because it's something I enjoy doing. You seem to be in your own little zone whenever you're cooking," Mac smiled at him, standing to clear the table. "Since you cooked, I'll take clean-up duty while you get comfortable."

Harm stood, taking her into his arms as soon as she came back for more dishes. "I love you, Mac. If we communicate, and cooperate with each other like we have been, we'll be just fine."

Mac smiled. "Forever."

"Forever," Harm nodded, kissing her hand. He frowned at her empty ring finger. "We need to fix this," he told her, rubbing the bare spot, "and I think I know just how to do it." He released her after another quick kiss, and then turned around. "I need to make a phone call."

Mac looked surprised, but smiled to herself as she realized that her future husband was now a man on a mission. Shaking her head, she returned to cleaning up the dinner dishes. When she'd finished cleaning up, she went to find out where her fiancé had gotten to. She found him sitting on the bed, talking on the telephone.

"Thanks so much," he was saying. "Hey, Mac just came in; I should go. I really appreciate you doing this for me. I love you too, Mom; give Frank a hug for me. Yes, I'll tell her. Bye, Mom." He hung up the phone and smiled at Mac. "My mom and Frank are thrilled to hear we're engaged, and everything else that's happening, though they are understandably sad about Harmony's situation. They are planning to come out and see us sometime soon… knowing my mom, I'd expect a surprise visit in the next week or two," he said, grinning.

Mac smiled somewhat nervously. "I'd love to see them again."

"Hey, you okay?" Harm asked, noting her mood change. 

"Yeah; I'm just worried about what they'll think of me," she said softly. "They've only met me once, and it was only for a brief time."

Harm took her hand and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her when she was seated in front of him on the bed. "Ah, Mac… they're going to love you, just as much as I do. When I talked to them after they met you the first time, they both told me what a wonderful woman they thought you were. Heck, my mom was trying to convince me to propose back then," he said, chuckling softly.

Mac smiled and chuckled as well. "Something tells me your mom has been trying to get you married off for years."

"Only to you," he replied, seriously.

Mac's eyes widened, and she turned her head to look at him. "Huh?"

"Mac, my mom knew, probably before I did, that I was in love with you. She's been trying to talk some sense into me for years." He kissed the side of her neck. "I guess she must have guessed how much I love you, since you're about all I talk about when I call her."

Mac's eyes filled with tears. "I love you… do you know that?"

Harm shifted them so that she was lying down and he was lying partially on top of her, looking deeply into her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I love you, too." Leaning down, he kissed her deeply as he undid the belt on her robe.

**10:45 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Harmony walked into the bullpen and went to Harm's office door, wondering slightly at the odd looks she was receiving from everyone, but shrugging them off. Knocking on the door frame, she smiled when her cousin looked up and called for her to come in.

Harm closed the office door and motioned Harmony into a chair. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked, slipping into the chair beside her.

Harmony sighed. "Tired; drained. I have another check-up tomorrow with the oncologist, and then I have an appointment on Friday afternoon with the obstetrician. If you and Mac can get away, I'd love it if you'd join me for my appointment Friday," she said, smiling shyly at him. "I'm having another ultrasound, and it will be a good opportunity for the two of you to get to meet your future daughter."

Harm smiled his signature grin. "Hold that thought," he said, standing and moving out of his office to quickly knock on the frame of Mac's open office door. "Got a minute?"

Mac looked up and set her reference book aside. "For you, I've got five."

Harm jerked his head sideways. "Harmony's in my office; join us?"

Mac smiled and stood, following him into his office and closing the door. "Hello, Harmony," Mac said, leaning down and hugging the girl. "What brings you here?"

"I came to ask you and Uncle Harm if you'd like to come to my obstetrician appointment with me on Friday, since I'm having an ultrasound. Then the two of you can meet your future daughter," Harmony said.

Mac's eyes flew to Harm's and her heart skipped a beat when she saw his flyboy grin. "What time is your appointment?" she asked Harmony.

"15:30," Harmony replied.

Harm chuckled. "She even told us in military time," he said, winking at her.

"Well, I _was_ married to a Marine," she said, grinning back at him. "If I had said 3:30 to Donny, he'd make a smart-aleck remark about going someplace in the middle of the night."

They all laughed at that. 

"We can ask the Admiral, and then we'll let you know for sure," Mac said. "But I would love to be there if we can make it."

"Me, too," Harm said, smiling at both of them.

Harmony looked at her cousin again. "Have you had a chance to draw up the adoption papers yet?"

"Not yet, but it's on the top of my to-do list," Harm told her.

Harmony nodded. "Have you looked at anymore houses?"

Mac smiled broadly. "Actually, we found one that we really love. We're waiting for an appraiser, and an inspector, to look it over for us before we make an offer. It's really beautiful," Mac told her.

"It even has a small semi-apartment off of the garage area that would be perfect for when you come to live with us," Harm told her. "This way, you're still a part of our family and we can help take care of you, but you still have your own privacy."

Harmony started to cry at that. "Oh, that's the sweetest thing… thank you so much; both of you," she said.

"Hey, hey, now," Harm said, kneeling in front of her and pulling out his handkerchief to dry her tears. "None of that. We told you that you are a part of our family, and we meant it. I love you, kiddo, and I'm going to take care of you; just like I promised."

Harmony sniffled, nodding. "You always keep your promises," she said.

Mac took Harmony's hand, leaning forward and brushing the hair from her eyes. "We're here for you, Harmony. Don't be afraid to talk to us about, or ask us for, _anything_."

"Hey, why don't you go over to my place and rest for awhile, and then we'll all go out to dinner someplace tonight?" Harm said to her. 

"I don't want to be any trouble," Harmony said.

"It's no trouble," Harm assured her. "We'll go anywhere you feel like going. Even someplace that serves mostly meat," he grinned.

Harmony laughed at him. "Okay, then. Do you have a spare key?"

Harm told her where he kept his 'emergency' key. "Just make yourself at home."

Harmony stood and hugged first Harm, and then Mac, before opening the door. "I'll see you both tonight," she said.

"18:00 sharp," Harm answered, giving her a nod.

As soon as she was gone, Harm closed his office door, closed all of the blinds, and sat heavily in the chair Harmony had vacated, before he turned his head to look at Mac. 

Mac saw his expression, and her own eyes welled up with tears. "C'mere," she whispered, standing and moving to him, and then pulling him into her arms.

Harm wrapped his arms around her waist and clung to her, allowing his tears to fall. "It's so unfair…" he whispered, "so damned unfair…"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Again, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments, and words of encouragement. It's what keeps me posting the rest of this story! The restaurant is real, but I've never been there, so I just went by the reviews I read. Please ignore all mistakes; this hasn't been beta'd.

As I've said before, I don't own any of this. No infringement of any kind intended.

**17:59 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Harm opened the door to his apartment and allowed Mac to enter first. After his meltdown in his office that afternoon following Harmony's visit, he'd pulled himself together and had sprung into action. He now had the adoption papers in a folder in the car, had made arrangements to have both an inspector, and an appraiser, go look at the house before the end of the week, and had taken Mac on their lunch break to speak to the lender he'd talked to before to establish exactly how much they could afford to offer for the house.

They had both been pleasantly surprised to find out that not only were they pre-approved for a loan large enough to cover the house, the payments would almost allow them to live on one income, as they'd hoped.

Harmony looked up from the book she was reading when she heard the door open, and smiled at Harm and Mac. "Hey, guys… is it 18:00 already?" she asked.

Mac smiled back at her. "Yes, it is. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me get my things," Harmony said, trying to get off of the sofa.

Mac went over and helped her up, noticing as Harm went to the bedroom to pack some more items in his duffle bag. She smiled as she realized he was planning to stay at her place again.

Harmony stretched and rubbed her lower back, then moved her hands around to her belly. "Jeez, girl," she said softly, "settle down in there." She saw Mac watching her hand move around her extended abdomen and walked closer to her. "Would you like to feel her move?" she asked.

Mac took a breath and smiled at her in awe. "May I?"

Harmony smiled and nodded, taking Mac's outstretched hand and placing it on the spot where it was easiest to feel movement. "She's going to be a soccer player, I think," Harmony said, grinning. "Either that, a kick boxer."

Mac chuckled softly, but stopped when she felt the strong movements of the baby. She stood with a look of both awe and longing on her face, as she felt the tiny girl inside moving around. "Hey in there," she said, leaning closer to Harmony's tummy. "You'd better settle down, or you're going to wear yourself out." She looked up at Harmony and laughed, as she felt a strong kick against her palm.

"See, she's sassing you already," Harmony said, laughing.

Mac laughed, too, before she noticed Harm standing at the top of the steps to his bedroom.

Harm had taken his empty duffle to his bedroom and packed some fresh clothing into it, before grabbing a clean uniform from the closet. He could hear the women talking in the living room, but couldn't hear what they were saying. As soon as he was ready, he moved to the steps, and stood frozen at the sight that greeted him.

Mac had her hand on Harmony's belly, and the look on her face both warmed his heart, and made it ache. She was completely enthralled with feeling the baby moving, but he could tell that she envied Harmony for being able to carry a child. Harm had been doing a lot of research into Mac's condition, and found out that there were a lot of new, and successful treatments becoming available everyday. He vowed to himself that somehow, someday, he was going to make Mac's dream of carrying their child a reality.

**18:15 EST**

**St's Bourbon Street Grill**

**Washington, DC**

Harm, Mac, and Harmony were seated at a table, looking over their menus. "I think I'm going to have the Cajun grilled catfish," Harm said.

"Ohhh… that sounds good," Harmony said. "Too bad if I ate that, I'd be in heartburn hell for the next three days."

Mac gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm going to have the grilled herb chicken," she said.

Harmony looked at her menu and read the description. "That sounds doable; I think I'll have that, too."

Once the waitress had taken their orders, they started chatting. Harmony had asked them how they met, and they had told her about that, and some of the history between them.

"So you two have known each other for almost ten years?" Harmony asked. At their nods, she smiled and shook her head. "What took you so long?"

Harm and Mac looked at each other, the love shining in their eyes. "Who knows?" Mac said. "We just never seemed to be on the same page at the same time," she said softly.

"But you are now?" Harmony asked.

"Yeah, we are," Harm answered, leaning forward to kiss Mac.

Harmony smiled at the couple, as she finished her dinner and sipped at her water. "I'm glad to hear you've finally worked it out," she said. "Have you decided when you're going to get married yet?"

Harm and Mac looked at each other and chuckled. With everything that had been going on recently, they'd never even had an actual discussion about when they were going to get married, or what kind of wedding they wanted.

"Um, not yet," Mac said, as Harm winked at her.

Harmony just nodded.

"Would either of you like dessert?" Harm asked the women as he finished up his meal.

"I think I'll have a single scoop of vanilla ice cream," Harmony told him.

"None for me," Mac said, smiling.

Harm waited until their plates had been cleared, and Harmony's ice cream had been delivered to the table, before he opened the folder he'd brought with him. "I got the adoption papers drawn up," he told Harmony. "I brought them for you to read over. If you have a lawyer, you might want to have him or her look them over for you, too."

Harmony looked up at him with a question on her face. "Why? Uncle Harm, I trust you; I don't need another lawyer to look at them."

Harm smiled at her. "Well then, I at least want you to read them all the way through, and you can ask either Mac, or me, if you have any questions."

Harmony nodded. "Okay, but like I said, I trust you."

Harm winked at her as he passed the folder to her.

"I talked to Admiral Chegwidden this afternoon," Mac told them both. "He's agreed to give us the afternoon off on Friday."

Harm looked at her in surprise. "What did you tell him?"

"That we need to attend a very important appointment at Bethesda on Friday," Mac said, smiling at the incredulous look on Harm's face.

"Maaac… do you _know_ what he's going to _think _about that?" Harm asked her, eyes wide.

Mac laughed at the expression on his face. "That maybe we're going to be parents?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him, and grinning. "Um, we _are_; just not in the way he might think."

Harm groaned, and then leaned over and kissed her. "You're going to kill me, Marine," he said good-naturedly.

**21:00 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Mac and Harm were snuggled up together in her bed, just enjoying one another's company.

"Mac? Have you thought about what Harmony asked? About setting a date?" Harm asked her softly.

"Mmm… I don't know about a date, but I have thought about what type of ceremony I'd like," Mac told him, snuggling closer to him.

"Yeah?" Harm asked, slightly surprised. "What would you like?"

"I don't really want the big, fancy, military wedding, like what Bud and Harriet had," she told him. "Unless that's something you had your heart set on. Then I would be okay with it. I would just prefer that we have something small; something with just our family and closest friends. Maybe in a small church… perhaps Chaplain Turner could perform the ceremony?"

Harm hugged her closer, and kissed the top of her head. "We think a lot alike, Ninja girl," he told her. "That sounds perfect to me, too; I'm not really up for a big ceremony, either."

Mac smiled. "Mmm, good. Now we just have to decide on the when."

"Any ideas?" Harm asked her.

Mac sighed. "I don't know; you?"

"Not yet, but I'll let you know if I come up with something," he said, sighing softly.

"Sounds good to me," Mac said, yawning. "I love you."

Harm chuckled. "I love you, too. G'night, Mac."

"G'night, Harm."

**14:30 EST Friday**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac looked up as Harm rapped on her office door.

"Ready? We need to be at Bethesda in an hour," he said.

Mac smiled at his excitement. "Yes, I'm ready," she said, putting the file away she'd just finished, and standing. She picked up her purse and briefcase, and then stepped out of her office and locked the door. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked him, laughing at how nervous he seemed.

"Yeah, sure; why?" he asked, placing his hand at the small of her back and ushering her ahead of him.

"Well, you seem kind of nervous," Mac told him.

"Aren't you?" he asked her.

"A little, but you're acting like you're going to jump out of your skin," Mac said. "Relax, Harm."

Harm gave her a helpless look as they stepped onto the elevator.

Admiral AJ Chegwidden had watched the exchange with amusement. Shaking his head, he went back to his office.

**15:40 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Dr. Martindale walked into the exam room and smiled at Harmony. "How are you today? Any issues I should be aware of?" she asked, as she looked over Harmony's file.

"Nothing regarding the pregnancy," Harmony said, glancing at Harm and Mac. "But Dr. Vale said that the cancer has reached some of my lymph nodes, so he wants to talk to you about how soon we can deliver the baby."

Dr. Martindale sighed, placing her hand on Harmony's arm. "I'm so sorry, dear," she said. "Let's get this ultrasound done, and I'll have a better idea of where we stand with that. Are these your parents?" she asked, indicating Harm and Mac.

Harmony laughed. "No, actually, this is my cousin, Harmon Rabb, and his fiancé, Sarah Mackenzie. They're going to adopt my baby, and raise her when I'm gone," she said. "I wanted them to be here for the ultrasound, so they can meet their future daughter."

Dr. Martindale met their eyes, smiling softly at them. "I'm very pleased to meet you both," she said to them. "Shall we get started?"

Harmony nodded and laid back on the table. "Um, Uncle Harm, you might want to turn your back for a minute," she said.

Harm stood to his feet and obediently turned his back, listening to the doctor talking to Harmony about things like abdominal measurements, and cervix dilation. He had no idea what it all meant, and he decided that, for the time being, he could live with that.

"Okay, you can turn around now," Mac said, placing her hand on his arm and smiling at Harm.

Harm turned around to see that Harmony's exam gown had been pulled up to just under her breasts, while a white paper sheet was covering her from the pubic bone down, exposing her enlarged belly. He looked nervously at Mac, before sitting in his chair and resolutely gluing his eyes to the monitor across from him.

Mac simply smiled at him, while the doctor placed some lubricating jelly on Harmony's abdomen and moved the transducer around. After a few seconds, Mac smiled, recognizing the sound of the baby's heartbeat. She remembered what it sounded like from the time when she had seen Harriet in the ER, while she was pregnant with Little AJ. She looked at Harm and saw that he, too, was grinning broadly at the sound.

"Okay, let's have a look at this little girl," Dr. Martindale said. She moved the transducer around, and then looked at Harm and Mac. "Here's your future daughter," she said, showing them the image on the screen.

Harm and Mac sat mesmerized by the fuzzy photo on the screen; it was definitely the outline of a baby. They watched as the doctor pointed out features such as the nose, eyes, mouth, ears, hands and feet.

When she made a fist and punched upwards, Harmony gasped. "Hey, Miranda! Don't hit me; I'm not the one pushing on you," she said, laughing.

Harm, Mac, and Dr. Martindale laughed, too.

"So you've settled on a name?" Dr. Martindale asked, as she began taking necessary measurements and readings.

"It was my husband's mother's name," Harmony told her.

"Miranda is a beautiful name," the doctor said, smiling at her. She moved the transducer again and frowned slightly. "Dammit," she muttered softly.

"Is something wrong?" Mac asked worriedly, noting the look on the doctor's face.

"No, nothing's wrong, really. Miranda is perfectly healthy for a baby at her stage of development. The bad news, is that her lungs still aren't anywhere near mature enough for her to be delivered yet. Her chances of survival would be very slim if we had to deliver her within the next week or two," she said. "Not really unexpected; I was just hoping we'd catch a break, and she'd be developing a little quicker." She gave them a small smile as she put the transducer back into its holder and wiped the jelly off of Harmony's abdomen, and covered her back up with the exam gown. "Go ahead and get dressed, and then you can all meet me in my office."

Harm had stepped out of the room while Harmony dressed, and as soon as the women joined him, they made their way to Dr. Martindale's office. They sat in the seats she indicated to them, and waited for her to speak.

"First, I've already told you that Miranda's lungs are too underdeveloped to deliver her this early. I'm going to put you on some medication that will, hopefully, speed up the development of her lungs," she told Harmony. "I want to see you every week, as well. The cancer still hasn't spread to your uterus, so that's the good news. At this point, we are literally taking it week by week," she told them all. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"Is Harmony going to be okay to stay by herself at the hotel for a few more weeks?" Harm asked. "We've been looking for a house, but if necessary, she can move into my apartment for the time being."

"She'll be fine at the hotel for now," Dr. Martindale replied. "In fact, it's just up the street, so if there is an emergency, I'll be able to see her quickly."

"The medication you want to give me to help Miranda's lungs… what is it?" Harmony asked. "Will it make me any sicker?"

"It's a type of steroid," Dr. Martindale said, sighing. "It could, possibly, make you sick to your stomach. There's also a _small _possibility that it could speed up the progression of the cancer. If you want to refuse the drug, I'll understand."

Harmony shook her head. "No. My goal is to do whatever is best for Miranda. We've already established that there isn't anything that can be done for me; Miranda is the priority now."

Harm took Harmony's hand, and leaned closer to her. "Harmony… are you sure?"

Harmony smiled sadly at him. "I'm sure, Uncle Harm. I know she'll be in good hands with you and Mac. That makes this all worthwhile to me."

Mac turned her head so that they wouldn't see her tears, brushing them quickly away.

"Well, then, I have some pictures from the ultrasound to give you, and then I need to get back to my other patients," Dr. Martindale said, handing them each a copy of the ultrasound photo. "Also, here is your prescription, Harmony; get it filled as soon as possible."

"I will. Thank you, Doctor; for everything," Harmony said, standing and shaking the doctor's hand.

"I'll see you next week," Dr. Martindale said, as she showed them out.

**20:00 EST**

**JAG Headquarters Gym**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac stood silently in the corner, watching Harm beat the hell out of a punching bag. After Harmony's appointment, they'd taken her to get her prescription filled, and then had gone out for an early dinner, before taking her back to her hotel. Then Harm had suggested that he take her home for awhile, telling her he planned to come here and work out for awhile. Mac had told him a workout would do her some good as well, so they'd arrived over an hour ago.

She'd watched as Harm's anger had grown, and as his anger had grown, so had the intensity of his workout. Figuring she should let him try to work some of it off, she had joined him in silence, but now she was beginning to worry, as his anger only seemed to be getting worse, not better.

Mac felt someone standing beside her and glanced over, surprised to see the Admiral. "Sir," she said softly, automatically coming to attention.

The Admiral nodded once to her. "As you were," he said, glancing at Harm. "I take it things didn't go well at your appointment this afternoon?"

Mac looked over at Harm again, before motioning the Admiral a little further away from Harm's hearing. "Sir, Harm's cousin, Harmony, is pregnant, and she has cancer; there's nothing the doctors can do for her," she told him.

The Admiral frowned at this. "That's the young woman I've been hearing about that came to visit him?"

Mac nodded. "Yes, sir. She asked Harm to adopt the baby, and since we're getting married, we're both going to become the baby's parents. That's why we wanted to go to the appointment today; to see the ultrasound, and to support Harmony," she told him.

The Admiral looked solemnly at her. "By his reaction, I'd guess it was bad news?"

Mac shrugged. "Only in that the cancer is getting worse, but the baby isn't ready to be born yet. Harmony is literally hanging on at this point, just to give her baby a fighting chance," Mac said, a tear slipping from her eye, despite her best efforts. "He feels helpless, so…" she trailed off, shrugging.

"Keep me informed, and Colonel?" he said, looking at Harm again. "Let me know when you two need time off; you both can take as much as you need."

Mac gave him a small, sad smile. "Thank you, sir."

Admiral Chegwidden nodded once, and then slipped quietly out the door.

Mac stood silently, staring off into space for several minutes, before she noticed that she didn't hear Harm hitting the punching bag anymore. Turning, she saw him slumped on the floor, his shoulders shaking. Sighing, she walked over to him, sitting close to him and pulling him into her arms as he sobbed into her shoulder.

Maybe it was time to call in reinforcements.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks again for all of your responses! Like I said, it's what keeps me posting! I have no idea what the Roberts' twins names are, or where their house is… as you can probably tell by reading this post. I haven't seen the later seasons in ages!

I don't own any of it; wish I did. Enjoy!

**10:00 EST **

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Mac paced nervously as she spoke on the phone, and listened to Harm in the shower. "I really appreciate it," she was saying. "I honestly have to say that I'm at a loss, here. Thanks, so much. Harm's out of the shower; I'd better go. Okay, we'll see you, then; goodbye," she hung up the phone and sighed softly.

Harm came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, and another hanging from his neck. "I'm going to call Regina, to make an offer on the house," he told her. "Now that I've heard back from both the appraiser, and the inspector, and confirmed that everything is fine. Do we still want it?"

Mac smiled at him as she walked over and put her arms around his waist, kissing his newly-shaven chin. "Absolutely."

Harm smiled down at her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm glad we went to see the lender last week," he said. "Now that we have pre-approval for the loan, it should make the process a lot faster."

Mac nodded. "Yes, it should. We have to be at Bud and Harriet's in three hours, so we'd better get moving. We still have a lot to do before then."

Harm winced. "I didn't get Jimmy a present," he told her, guiltily. "Think we have time to do that, too?"

Mac chuckled. "Don't worry, flyboy, I've got it covered; I got him something from both of us," she said, moving away from him to slip on her shoes and brush her hair.

"Oh? What'd we get him?" Harm asked.

"A Power Wheels Corvette," Mac said, grinning at him.

Harm chuckled, pulling the towel from around his waist. "Perfect."

Mac's eyes darkened as she stood looking at him. "Mmm, yeah… it is," she said, definitely _not_ talking about Jimmy's gift. Moving her gaze up his body, she looked him in the eyes. "I think we can call Harriet and tell her we're running a little late, don't you?"

Harm laughed, as Mac moved into his open arms. "I think that would be okay," he whispered, just before he kissed her.

**13:45 EST**

**Bud & Harriet's Home**

Harm stood on the porch step with his arm around Mac, as they waited for someone to answer the door. "It was a great idea to have the store wrap the gift and send it here," Harm told her. "I'm sure that thing is pretty heavy."

Mac just smiled at him, as the door flew open and they were grabbed around the legs by two small boys.

"Uncle Harm! Auntie Mac!" Little AJ yelled excitedly. "We was worried that you weren't gonna come!"

Jimmy just laughed and nodded his head, as Mac scooped him up and kissed him.

Harm had likewise picked up Little AJ, tickling the boy's tummy. "Where are your mom and dad?" he asked, stepping into the house.

"In… the… backyard," Little AJ squealed between giggles.

Harm set the boy on his feet and watched as he scurried through the kitchen towards the back door. He turned and kissed Jimmy on the forehead. "Happy Birthday, little man," he said, laughing as Jimmy wiggled to be free from Mac. As soon as she set him on his feet, he, too, scurried out the back door.

"Harm, Mac, it's so good to see you," Harriet said as she stepped into the kitchen, carrying a pink wrapped bundle. She happily handed the cooing baby girl over to Mac. "Everyone is outside, if you'd like to join them," she told Mac. Giving Harm a stern look, she jerked her head towards the living room. "May I have a word with you?"

Harm looked at Mac, clearly baffled, but nodded. "Sure thing, Harriet," he said, motioning for her to precede him.

As soon as they were alone, Harriet turned and lightly smacked Harm in the chest. "What is this I hear about you getting a young girl pregnant?"

Harm's eyes grew wide. "What?!" he exclaimed.

"Bud said that the office is buzzing with rumors that you got a girl half your age pregnant," Harriet told him. "Bud says that he's seen her visiting you a few times, and that you seem very fond of her. We didn't think it could be true, but even Sturgis said that he's seen her with you."

Harm rolled his eyes skyward. "Oh, geez," he said. "Harriet… that girl is my _cousin_, Harmony," he told her.

Harriet's eyes widened, as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, my…" She suddenly started to laugh. "Oh, Harm, I'm so sorry. I didn't think it was true, but everyone seemed so sure. Well, everyone except Jennifer. She said that you and Mac are an item now. Guess that's not true either, huh?" she asked, grimacing.

Harm gave her a cocky grin. "Now that _is_ true," he said. "We're getting married, and we're adopting Harmony's baby," he said, happy to be able to surprise Harriet.

"Oh, Harm!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him warmly. "I'm so thrilled for you both!"

"Thanks, Harriet," he said, hugging her back.

Harriet frowned in puzzlement. "May I ask why you're adopting your cousin's baby?"

Harm took a deep breath and then sighed, nodding his head. "Can we sit down?"

Harriet nodded, and they sat beside each other on the sofa.

"Well," Harm began, "last week, Harmony showed up at my office…" and then he began to tell her everything. By the time he was finished, both he and Harriet were in tears; Harriet having pulled him to her for a comforting hug.

"Oh, Harm, I'm so sorry," she said softly. "I don't know what to say. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Harm shook his head. "No; I don't think there's anything anyone can do," he said. Sitting up again, he looked into her eyes and accepted the tissue she handed him. Giving her a small smile, he took a deep, calming breath. "Thank you, Harriet, for everything."

"Hey, that's what friends are for," she said, smiling at him. "I'm so happy for you and Mac, but I feel terrible about Harmony."

"Exactly the problem I'm having," Harm told her. "It's killing me that Harmony has to go through all of this, but I'm so happy about everything good that is happening between me and Mac. I mean, this situation was the catalyst that finally brought us together, and I feel like I should feel guilty about that," he said.

"Have you told Mac that?" she asked him.

Harm shook his head. "No. I don't want to spoil her happiness."

"How do you know she's not feeling the same way?" Harriet asked.

"I guess I don't," he said softly. "Maybe we should sit down and talk this through."

"If you're going to have a lasting marriage, it's pretty important," Harriet nodded. She glanced towards the kitchen. "Shall we go join the party?"

Harm grinned at her. "Go ahead; I'll be right out," he told her, kissing her forehead.

"Okay," she said, standing. She went outside to where the party was, finding Mac and giving her a big hug. "Congratulations, Mac," she whispered. "I'm so happy for you, both."

Mac smiled at her. "Thanks, Harriet," Mac said. "Do you want your little angel back?" she asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Harriet caught the tone, and smiled at Mac. "Not unless you want me to take her. I hear you need all the practice you can get."

Mac grinned, looking down into the baby's sweet face. "Yeah…" she said, in awe.

**14:40 EST**

**Bud and Harriet's Home**

After Mac helped Harriet to get the twins settled into their cribs for a nap, she followed her downstairs to the kitchen to help her get some of the other food ready.

"Mom?" Little AJ came in and called. "Where's the gasoline for the lawnmower?"

"What do you need gasoline for?" Harriet asked, frowning.

"I don't… Uncle Harm needs it to light the barbecue," he explained.

Mac's eyes grew wide. "What? No, no, no… Harm!" she called, heading outside.

Harriet followed her, and got outside just as Harm threw a match onto the briquettes, watching the thing light up, flames shooting a good two feet up in the air.

Mac looked at Harriet incredulously. "What are they thinking?" she asked, as the men were all laughing at the inferno, and Sturgis' close call.

"Welcome to my world," Harriet said, sighing. "Come on, Mac, let's go finish up in the kitchen," she said, shaking her head.

Mac rolled her eyes at Harm when he grinned in her direction, and then followed Harriet back into the kitchen, shaking her head at the juvenile antics of the guys. Even Admiral Chegwidden found the blaze amusing.

The rest of the party went well, and by the time it was over, Jimmy was yawning, while sitting on his Uncle AJ's lap, while Little AJ tooled around happily in his brother's new mini Corvette.

Harm and Mac were each holding one of the twins, watching as Bud and Harriet began cleaning up.

"What do you say we take these two upstairs, and get them ready for bed for Bud and Harriet?" Mac whispered to Harm.

Harm smiled at her and nodded. "Lead the way."

They took the twins upstairs and bathed them, before dressing them for bed. Mac had brought bottles up with her, so they each took a rocking chair and started feeding a baby. Once the twins were fed and burped, they sat just happily rocking them, as the twins dozed off.

"This is nice," Mac said, smiling at Harm.

Harm smiled, too. "Yeah, it is."

Harriet stuck her head in the door and smiled. "There you are; we'd wondered where you'd gotten to," she said softly, so as not to wake up the sleeping babies.

"We bathed, dressed, and fed them already," Mac told her quietly. "We were just about to put them to bed, so we can go say goodnight to Jimmy and Little AJ."

Harriet looked surprised. "Thank you both so much. You have no idea how much that helps me."

Harm winked at her. "Our pleasure, Harriet. It was good practice." Turning his attention to Mac, he nodded towards the cribs. "Shall we?"

They placed the sleeping infants into the cribs, and then went downstairs to say good night to everyone else.

**08:30 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Harm blindly grasped for his cell phone and groggily answered it. "Yeah, Rabb," he said gruffly.

"Harmon, darling, where are you?" his mother's voice woke him up.

"I'm at Mac's, Mom, why do you ask?" he said, glancing at his sleeping companion.

"Because we're standing outside your apartment. We've been knocking for five minutes now," she said, a smile in her voice. "Surprise, darling, we're here."

Harm swiped a palm over his face, grimacing. "Um, that's great, Mom," he said, trying to sound more excited than he actually felt. He told her where to find the emergency key, and promised he and Mac would be there as soon as possible. As soon as he had hung up the phone, he rolled over and kissed Mac's neck. "Hey there," he said softly. "Time to wake up."

"Umm.. I don't wanna," Mac said sleepily. "You can go for a run without me today."

Harm chuckled. "I'm afraid we won't have time for a run at all today," he told her, kissing her neck again. "My parents are at my apartment, waiting for us."

Mac's eyes suddenly flew open, as her internal clock caught up with her. Crap! "Really?" she asked, trying to sound surprised. "Well, I suppose we should get moving then; we don't want to keep them waiting long."

Harm raised an eyebrow, watching her as she climbed out of bed. That sneaky Jarhead of his. "Well, there's really no hurry, Mac," he told her. "We could stay in bed awhile longer."

Mac turned and grinned at him. "We were late to Jimmy's party yesterday, Harm, it just wouldn't be right to keep your parents waiting for us, too."

Harm sighed. "True," he said, climbing out of bed and following her into the bathroom. "I suppose, for the sake of saving time, we should take our shower together," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Mac suppressed a grin. "I suppose that would be the best way to go."

Harm leaned around her to turn on the water, before turning her in his arms to kiss her deeply. "I love you, Mac," he said, before kissing her again.

Mac grinned through the kiss. They were _so_ going to be late getting to his apartment…


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks so much for all of the great feedback! Again, the restaurant is real, but I've never been there. Thank heaven for the internet!

As always, nothing belongs to me, and no infringement is intended.

**10:15 EST**

**Harm's Apartment**

**North of Union Station**

Mac looked nervously at Harm, as they stepped off of the elevator. "Maybe I shouldn't have come with you," she said uncertainly.

Harm stopped in front of his apartment door, and pulled her to him. "Mac, relax, will you? I promise you, everything's going to be fine," he kissed her, then cupped her face in his palm. "I love you; that's all they need to know."

Mac smiled at him, nodding.

Harm opened the door to the apartment and motioned for Mac to go in before him. As soon as he had the door closed, he turned around to see his guests, and was surprised. Not only were his mom and Frank here, but so was his grandmother, and Harmony. Eyebrows raised, he smiled. "Hi, everyone," he said, glancing at Mac before his mother and grandmother came forward for kisses and hugs.

"Mom, Frank, you remember Mac?" he asked rhetorically, putting his arm around Mac's shoulders.

"Yes, of course we do," his mother said. "It's so good to see you again, dear."

Mac smiled warmly. "Hello Mrs. Burnett; Mr. Burnett."

"Oh, heavens! Call me Trish, or Mom," Harm's mom said. "And you can call him Frank."

Frank winked at her as he shook her hand, giving her a nod. "Congratulations on your engagement," he said to her.

"Thank you, Frank," Mac said, smiling up at Harm.

"Mac, this is my grandmother, Sarah Rabb," Harm told her, indicating the elderly woman who was standing next to him. "Grammy, this is my other Sarah," he said, smiling proudly. "Though she prefers Mac; it's a Jarhead thing," he stage-whispered, making everyone laugh.

"Mrs. Rabb," Mac said, taking the older woman's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Now, now, none of that Mrs. Rabb nonsense," Sarah Rabb said, pulling Mac in for a hug. "You call me Grammy, just like everyone else."

Mac chuckled softly. "Okay, Grammy."

"Harm, are you moving?" Frank asked. "The place is packed up, and it doesn't look like you've lived here in at least a week."

Harm smiled at his family. "Mac and I have found a house we're going to buy. We made an offer on it yesterday, so we're just waiting to hear if the owner will accept it."

This brought another round of congratulations and hugs, before Harm got everyone something to drink from the refrigerator.

They sat and talked for hours, making Mac feel like a member of the family. Mac loved hearing stories about Harm, and Harmony, while they were growing up, and Harm's family enjoyed hearing stories of Harm and Mac's adventures together over the last nine years.

When it was nearly lunch time, Frank suggested that they all head to Olive Garden for lunch, his treat.

Harm, Mac, and Harmony rode in Harm's SUV, while his parents and grandmother rode in the rental car.

They all had a great lunch, and enjoyed visiting together, before Harm looked at his family. "Where are all of you staying?" he asked.

"Your mother and I have booked a hotel room downtown," Frank told him. "I was going to get your grandmother a room there, as well."

Harm looked up. "Oh, don't do that, Frank," he said, smiling at his grandma. "She can stay in my apartment as long as she'd like. I know exactly where the box with the linens is, and since none of the other boxes are actually sealed up yet, she can use whatever she needs out of them."

"I don't want to inconvenience you, Harm," his grandmother said.

"It's not an inconvenience at all," Harm told her. "At least, not for me. It might be one for you, if you have to constantly dig through boxes to find what you need."

His grandmother laughed at that. "Oh, Harm, you know me; I don't need much to make me happy."

Harm laughed, too. "True. So, will you stay at my place?"

Grammy took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Of course I will, dear."

**19:00 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Mac came out of the bedroom wearing her black silk robe, her face still flushed from her bath. She settled herself on the sofa while she waited for Harm to finish in the bathroom.

After lunch, they'd brought everyone to her place so that they could visit some more. Since they'd had such a large lunch, no one was really hungry for a big dinner, so Mac had just made some sandwiches, while Harm had made up a vegetable snack tray. Everyone had left around 18:00, promising to get together for dinner tomorrow night after Harm and Mac got off work. Harm insisted that he would cook dinner for them all at Mac's apartment.

Harm came in and sat down beside her, pulling her close. "So, what do you think of my family?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"They're wonderful," Mac said, smiling up at him. "They made me feel welcome; like a real member of the family."

"That's because you are," he said softly, tilting her chin up to kiss her lips. "I have something for you," he said, pulling a jeweler's box out of his shirt pocket.

Mac's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" she breathed.

Harm smiled. "My mom and Frank brought it with them," he told her, as he handed it to her. "These were my mother's rings, when she married my dad," he told her. "I had her take them to the jeweler to be cleaned and sized. I used a piece of string to size your finger while you were asleep one morning, so I don't know for sure if they'll fit. If not, we'll have them adjusted."

Mac held the box in her now-shaking hand, her eyes moist with tears. "Oh, Harm," she breathed softly, "I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything," he told her, "just open it."

Mac opened the box and her breath caught in her throat. Inside lay a beautiful golden wedding set. The wedding ring was a simple band with roses engraved all around it. The engagement ring also had engraved roses all around it, with a small diamond set perfectly in the center. They were beautiful in their simplicity. "They're perfect," Mac whispered, tears slipping from her eyes. "Thank you," she said, looking up at Harm.

Harm took the engagement ring from the box, closing the lid and setting the box aside. Reaching for her left hand, he slipped from the sofa onto one knee in front of her. "I know I already asked, but I have to do it right," he smiled. "Sarah Mackenzie, will you do me the greatest honor, by becoming my wife?"

Mac nodded, as more tears slipped from her eyes. "Yes, Harm… oh, yes," she said, as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

Harm pulled her to him for a deep, lingering kiss. "I love you, Sarah," he said softly, as he stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her again.

"I love you, too, Harmon," she said, as he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

**11:07 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac was reading through a file she had on her desk for a new case she'd just been given, when the phone on her desk rang. "Mackenzie," she answered.

"Colonel Mackenzie," a female voice replied. "This is Dr. Martindale."

Surprised, Mac set the file aside. "Hello, Doctor, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you knew that since you and Commander Rabb are going to adopt Harmony's baby, you are entitled up to three months of family leave?" Dr. Martindale asked.

"Yes, actually, we discussed that last night. Harm and I both decided that we're going to take the time off to be with Miranda, and, hopefully, Harmony," Mac told her. "Why?"

Dr. Martindale paused, taking a deep breath. "Colonel, I have to be honest with you, it's doubtful that Harmony will be around much longer after Miranda is born. Her condition is extremely serious."

Mac forced back the tears. "I see," she said softly.

"I've already spoken to Harmony about this, and she loves the idea, so she asked me to call you and talk to you about it," Dr. Martindale continued. "How would you like to breastfeed Miranda?"

Mac's eyes widened. "Huh? I mean, is that even possible?"

Dr. Martindale chuckled softly. "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. If we start you on hormone shots now, it only takes a few weeks for your body to start producing milk. You could be ready to nurse as soon as Miranda arrives. The first six to eight weeks is the most important time, and once you return to work, you could express the milk, or fill in with formula during the time you're at work."

Mac sat back in her chair in shock. "I'd… I'd love to…" she said, softly. "What do I need to do?"

"I have an opening tomorrow afternoon, if you can come out here on your lunch hour, I can do an exam and start the first shot. Then I'll show you how to do it, and you can administer them to yourself for the next several weeks, if that sounds all right," Dr. Martindale told her.

Mac smiled widely. "I'll be there, just tell me what time." She wrote down the time in her planner and hung up the phone, before rushing into Harm's office to tell him.

Harm stared at her in amazement after she'd told him about the conversation she'd just had with Dr. Martindale. "Wow," he grinned. "How do you feel about that?" he asked.

"Scared to death, but excited," she told him. "Harm, I had no idea they could do that. We know I may never be able to carry a child of our own, but if I can nurse a baby if we adopt, that makes it almost okay," she told him. "Are you okay with it?"

Harm smiled at her. "Of course I am! I think it is a wonderful idea. What time is your appointment tomorrow?"

"13:30," Mac told him.

Harm's face fell. "I have to be in court at 13:00," he told her. "I'd like to go, but there's no way I can miss court.""I can see if I can reschedule," Mac told him.

"No," Harm told her. "This is too important. We don't know how long we have until Harmony will have to deliver, so you need to start the shots as soon as possible. I'll see you afterwards," he said, smiling at her.

Mac returned his smile and nodded. "Thank you, Harm, for understanding."

Harm winked at her. "You're welcome. Now get out of my office, love, I have work to do."

Mac laughed and returned to her own office, hoping she'd be able to concentrate on her own work now.

**15:00 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA **

**Next day**

Mac walked into her office, still rubbing her hip where she'd gotten the shot. Harm was still in court, so she wouldn't be able to talk to him about her office visit for awhile yet. A message on her desk said that the Admiral wanted to see her as soon as she arrived, so she put her things away and walked towards his office.

"Hello, ma'am," Jennifer Coates greeted her. "I'll let the Admiral know you're here," she said, buzzing the intercom. "Sir, Colonel Mackenzie is here to see you."

"Send her in," the Admiral's voice came over, "oh, and Coates? See if you can't find Lt. Millavich and send him in."

"Aye, sir," Coates said, nodding to Mac to go in.

Mac opened the door and walked in, coming to attention in front of his desk. "Colonel Mackenzie reporting as ordered, sir," she said.

"As you were, Colonel," the Admiral said, closing the file he was reading and removing his glasses. "We have a new staff member, and I want you to handle his integration," he told her. "I have to warn you, Colonel, he's arrogant, cocky and a royal pain in the six, but I'm hoping that his skills as a lawyer will make him of use around here."

Mac suppressed a grin. "Sir, how do you want me to handle him?"

The Admiral smiled at her. "I'll leave that to you, Colonel, but under no circumstances is he to receive any kind of special treatment, is that clear?"

Mac did grin this time. "Crystal, sir," she said, as Jennifer buzzed the Admiral to let him know that Millavich had arrived.

After the young man was standing in front of his desk, the Admiral introduced them. "Colonel Mackenzie is going to show you the ropes around here," he told him.

Millavich gave her a barely concealed leer. "I think I can handle that, sir," he said.

"You'd do well to listen to her, Lieutenant," Chegwidden said, "she's been here for nine years, and she's one of the best I've got."

Mac hid her surprise, extremely pleased by the compliment.

"You're dismissed Lieutenant, but don't go far, Colonel Mackenzie will join you shortly," he said.

Millavich saluted, then turned and left the office.

Admiral Chegwidden looked at Mac. "I have full confidence in your ability to handle him," he told her, a small smile on his face. "Just don't put him in the hospital; I don't need the paperwork."

Mac smiled. "I'll do my best, sir."

Chegwidden stood and came around the desk, leaning on the front and crossing his arms. "How are things going with Harm's cousin?" he asked.

"Not well, sir," Mac said softly. "His family has arrived, so hopefully we can all help him through this."

Chegwidden nodded. "Have you set a date for the wedding?" he asked, his eyes darting to her left hand. "I noticed this morning that you now have a ring."

Mac gently rubbed the ring. "No date yet, sir, but we're planning something small; just family and close friends." She looked him in the eye. "Sir, I was hoping… would you walk me down the aisle?"

Chegwidden smiled at her. "I'd be honored to, Mac," he said. "Just tell me when and where."

Mac smiled. "I will. I wish the White House rose garden was available," she said, smiling, "since that's where we met, but I'll settle for a small church service. I'd better go, before Lt. Millavich gets lost," she said, standing at attention again.

"Dismissed, Colonel," the Admiral said, standing up straight. He watched as she left his office, a contemplative look on his face.

**16:45 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Harm and Bud were talking quietly, both secretly glad that Mattoni had managed to get a conviction on their client, as they entered the bullpen. They said their goodbyes, and Harm was about to knock on Mac's door, when it opened and a young man looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Hello," Harm said, "I didn't realize that Colonel Mackenzie was busy; I'll come back."

"That's okay, Harm," Mac called, "we were finished, weren't we Lieutenant?"

Harm recognized the tone of voice, and he winced, wondering what the young lieutenant had done to piss off his beautiful fiancé. "I'm Commander Rabb; you are?" he asked, sticking his hand out.

Millavich eyed the hand for just a moment, before taking it. "I'm Lt. James Millavich; I'm the new guy here at JAG."

"Come on in, Harm," Mac said, as Millavich left her office. "Lt. Millavich, I expect to see you in my office at 09:00 tomorrow," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Millavich said, as he watched the Commander enter the office and close the door. He raised an eyebrow when he saw said Commander pull the Colonel into his arms and give her a brief kiss. Turning, he went to his new office to secure for the day.

"So, how was your doctor's visit?" Harm asked Mac.

Mac rubbed her hip. "Painful," she said, grinning. "Dr. Martindale did an exam, and then she gave me a shot. Then she gave me what I need to give myself shots. Two a day for the first three days, and then one a day for the next three weeks."

Harm frowned slightly. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry," he said.

Mac smiled brilliantly at him.

"What?" he asked, confused by her smile.

"You just called me 'honey'," she said. "Honestly, Harm, I don't mind taking the shots. It will all be worth it in the end. Are you finished for the day? We have to meet your family for dinner tonight."

Harm smiled at her. "Let me go lock up my office, and then I'll be ready to go."

Mac nodded. "Okay; see you in five."

Lieutenant Millavich was about to open his car door, when he paused. Commander Rabb was holding the door of a SUV open, and he helped Colonel Mackenzie into the vehicle, giving her a quick kiss before closing the door; then he went around and climbed into the driver's side, laughing as he started the vehicle. Millavich frowned, before climbing into his own vehicle and leaving.

**17:30 EST**

**Alpine Restaurant**

**Arlington, VA**

Harm and Mac walked into the restaurant, smiling when Frank waved to them. Heading over to the table, they quickly greeted everyone, before Harm pulled out Mac's chair for her. As soon as she was seated, he took his own seat beside her.

"How was work today?" Trish asked them.

"Fine," Harm told her, accepting a menu from the waitress. "What did you all do today?"

"We toured DC, before heading back to your apartment to rest up a bit," she replied.

Harm was about to say something, when his cell phone rang. Seeing it was the Admiral, he winced. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," he said, standing and flipping open the phone. "Yes, Admiral…" he said, as he moved away from the table.

Mac watched his retreating form for a minute, before turning her attention back to Harm's family. "I hope he doesn't have to go out of town," she said.

Trish gave her a sympathetic smile. "It must be difficult, to just have to up and leave at a moment's notice."

Mac smiled and shrugged slightly. "Sometimes. Most of the time I don't mind it, unless it inconveniently interferes with prior plans. But duty is duty; if I really dislike it enough, I can always resign my commission."

"Have you thought about doing that?" Trish asked. "I get the impression that you love being a Marine."

Mac smiled at her. "I do, don't get me wrong. I have thought about it from time to time; heck, I even did it once, and I hated civilian law. But sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like to just… I don't know, be a wife and mother. I've been a Marine most of my adult life."

"At least you have the option, dear," Grammy said to her, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Mac returned the older woman's smile. "Yeah." She looked at Harmony. "I went and saw Dr. Martindale for that appointment we talked about last night," Mac told her. "It went great; I started the shots today."

Harmony smiled at her. "That's great, Mac."

Harm rejoined them, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Sorry, everyone, the Admiral needed to discuss something with me."

Mac looked at him curiously. "Do you have to go out of town?"

"No," he said, shrugging.

"Is it a new case?" she asked, wondering at his smile.

"Nope," he said again. "Just something he needed my opinion on."

Now Mac was really suspicious. "Okay… can you share with the rest of us?"

Harm laughed at her. "No; at least, not yet."

Mac's eyes widened. "Is this about one of us transferring out of JAG?"

Harm winked at her. "Maybe. Honestly, Mac, I can't talk about it yet. I'll tell you as soon as I can; I promise."

This seemed to satisfy her, so she nodded and turned back to her menu.

They had a lovely dinner, and enjoyed visiting with each other. After nearly two hours, they finally said their goodnight's and went their separate ways.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," Harm told them, having promised to meet them at his apartment the next evening.

As soon as they were settled in the SUV, Harm looked at Mac. "What do you say we get married this weekend?"

Mac looked at him, eyes wide. "What?"

Harm smiled. "My family is all here, and we can fly Chloe here. Mattie was already supposed to be coming on Friday night, so she'll be here… I talked to Frank, and between the two of us, we can have it all arranged by Saturday; Sunday at the latest. What do you say?"

"I'll need to find a dress… are you sure we can pull this off this soon?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Harm told her.

"Then, yes! I'd love to get married this weekend!" Mac said, laughing.

Harm took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I love you, Mac."

"I love you, too, Harm."


	8. Chapter 8

**09:00 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac heard the knock on her office door and was just about to answer, when the door opened and Lt. Millavich stood there staring at her with a surprised look on his face. Quickly turning to obscure his view, she glared at him. "I don't recall telling you to come in," she said, as she quickly pushed the plunger on the syringe and pulled the side of her skirt back up, reaching behind her to re-fasten it. Then she engaged the safety cap on the syringe, dropping it into the trash can, and turned her attention back to Millavich, who was still standing in her doorway. The leer from the previous day was back. Rolling her eyes, she sighed inwardly. "Close the door, Lieutenant."

Millavich closed the door and looked at Mac. "Are you diabetic, ma'am?" he asked.

Mac shot a scathing look at him. "No," she said, handing him a file. "This is an administrative case that you are to take over, effective immediately."

Millavich understood that she was not going to discuss what he'd just seen with him, so he accepted the file and looked at it. "Ma'am, couldn't my talents be better used on something else?"

Mac frowned at him. "Do you think that you are above administrative cases?"

"No, ma'am," he said. "I was just under the impression that the Admiral was short-staffed here, so he needed more trial lawyers."

Mac nodded once. "I see. Well, Lt. Millavich, in time you will be given cases that require you to appear in court. At some point, you will even be sent out on investigations. Until that time, however, you will accept whatever cases you are assigned, and you will give them your full attention. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Good," Mac said, "you're dismissed."

Lt. Millavich came to attention, before turning and leaving her office. As he walked out of her office, he saw Lt. Commander Roberts standing at the copy machine. "Hello, sir," he said, walking up to him.

"Hello, Lieutenant," Bud said."Sir, what do you know about Colonel Mackenzie?" he asked.

Bud looked up at him, frowning slightly. "What do you want to know?"

"What's the story between her and Commander Rabb?" he asked.

Bud smiled. "They're engaged," he said. "The Admiral is working out which one of them is going to transfer out of JAG."

"Sir, I think… I mean… I just saw something that seems a bit odd, sir," he said.

Bud frowned again. "What is it?"

"Well, sir, Colonel Mackenzie was giving herself a shot when I went in to see her. I asked her if she's diabetic, and she told me she's not. I'm sure it's nothing…" he said hesitantly.

Bud raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation," he told him. "Colonel Mackenzie would never do anything to jeopardize her career."

"No, sir," Lt. Millavich said. "I'm sure you're right; there must be a logical explanation. If you'll excuse me, sir, I have a case to review." He turned and left, smiling to himself as he went to his office, fully aware of the stares of the other staff members in the bullpen.

**13:00 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac pulled the container out that held Harm's lunch, passing it to him before taking out her own. "I'm telling you, I'm going to kill him," she said, before handing Harm a bottle of water.

Harm tried not to laugh. Mac really didn't like the new guy, and it was frustrating the hell out of her that she was stuck babysitting him. "Why don't we talk about something that will take your mind off of it for awhile?" he suggested.

Mac smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry; I must be making you crazy with my constant complaining."

"No, not at all," Harm said. "I just got some news today that I thought would cheer you up," he told her, grinning. "We got the house."

Mac's eyes widened and she smiled broadly. "Really? That's terrific! What do we have to do now?"

"Well, since it is owned outright, the process will be a bit faster than if we had to deal with her bank and such. We're already pre-approved for the loan, so I called Larry today and told him the owner accepted our offer. He's going to contact Regina, and work out the details, but we should be able to sign the papers and get the keys in two to three weeks," he told her. "He said it usually takes up to two months, so we're really fortunate." Turning a bit more serious, he looked her in the eyes. "I also talked to him about having a clause put into our insurance policy like the one the owner's husband had; you know, about if something happens to one of us, the house would be paid for."

Mac nodded. "That certainly makes sense," she said. "Especially given our careers."

"Also, Larry told me that if we can give him a bit more for the down payment, our monthly payment would go down by two hundred-fifty dollars," he said.

"How much more?" Mac asked.

"Ten thousand?" Harm asked, giving her a questioning look.

Mac thought about that a minute. "Yeah, I think we can do that," she said.

Harm smiled at her. "I thought so, but I wanted to clear it with you first. I'll call Larry this afternoon to let him know." He took another bite of his eggplant parmesan.

"I'm going to go look at wedding dresses tonight, while you spend some private time with your family," Mac told him. "I'll get dinner somewhere while I'm out."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" he asked.

Mac smiled. "Harriet is going with me. Bud gets kid duty for a few hours, while Harriet and I have some girl time. Harriet said she's dying for some conversation that doesn't center around Elmo, Barney or Blue's Clues."

Harm chuckled. "All right then. Do you need anything from me?"

"Not that I can think of, but I'll let you know if I do," Mac told him.

"About the wedding; what kind of flowers would you like?" Harm asked. "Frank said to pick whatever you'd like."

"Roses," Mac said, smiling at him.

"Of course; I should have known. Do you have any color scheme in mind for the wedding… and don't you dare say Marine green!" he said, laughing.

"Aw, Harm, you spoil all my fun," she said, laughing, too. "Seriously? How about aqua? It's a combination of green and blue… sort of a mating of Navy and Marines."

Harm chuckled. "Good choice of words there, Mac," he said, leering at her.

Mac blushed furiously. "You know what I mean."

Harm winked at her. "Yeah, I do. I think aqua works."

"You're being awfully agreeable," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Mac, honey, the details don't matter that much to me. As long as we get married, I'll be a happy man," he said.

**20:04 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Harm looked up from the book he was reading when Mac came in the front door. Smiling, he stood and went to her. "How'd the dress hunt go?" he asked, pulling her to him for a kiss as soon as she'd set her things down.

"Great. I told the girls at the shop what I thought I was looking for, and they brought out a selection that met my criteria. I found exactly what I wanted, and it only needs some minor adjustments to make it fit right. Harriet was ecstatic; she said the dress is perfect," she told him, smiling. "She's right."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, smiling. "Frank booked The Willard for the reception today."

Mac's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "How in the world did he pull that off?"

Harm smiled and shrugged. "Frank has connections… and money. He told me not to worry about it, and that he's more than happy to make this happen. My family adores you, Mac," he said, kissing her neck. "Almost as much as I do. Sergei and his wife are flying in on Thursday night, Chloe's plane arrives Friday afternoon… the Admiral has given us all day Friday off, by the way, and Mattie's dad is dropping her off Friday morning. I talked to Chaplain Turner, and he said we can do a run-through at the church on Friday night, so I figure we can all go out to dinner then."

Mac looked at him in amazement. "This is all really happening, isn't it?"

Harm gave her his best flyboy grin. "Yes, it is," he said, his expression suddenly turning cautious. "You do still want to do this, right?"

Mac pulled him close, hugging him tightly. "Absolutely! It's just, after all of this time, it's hard to believe it's all happening so quickly… and seemingly so easily. I'm afraid something bad is going to happen at the last minute to mess it all up."

Harm kissed the top of her head. "It won't Mac. Our being happy is long overdue; nothing can stand in our way now."

**13:02 EST**

**Dulles International Airport**

**Chantilly, VA**

**Friday**

Mac stood at the waiting area for in-coming flights, looking for Chloe. Mattie had arrived that morning, and Harm had taken her to his apartment to meet the rest of the family for the first time. She'd gone to pick up her wedding dress, trying it on one last time to make sure it fit properly, before heading here to the airport. She was going to take Chloe to Harm's apartment, where they'd all have a light lunch before getting ready for the wedding rehearsal late this afternoon.

It had been a crazy week, between their jobs and trying to get everything together for the wedding, but it had all come together. Mac could still hardly believe that in twenty-six hours, fifty-six minutes, she would officially be Mrs. Harmon Rabb, Jr.

"Mac!" Chloe called, waving and running towards her.

"Chloe!" Mac said, as the girl came up to her and gave her a big hug. Mac was amazed that Chloe was now nearly as tall as she was. "How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm great," she said. "My grandma put my dress in a garment bag, and packed it in one of my suitcases. She said to make sure I take it out and hang it up immediately," Chloe told her.

Mac laughed. "We'll do that. Let's go get your luggage."

They retrieved the two suitcases Chloe had, before heading out to the parking area. On the drive towards Harm's apartment, Chloe caught Mac up on all of the recent happenings in her life. Finally, she looked at Mac. "I still can hardly believe that you and Harm are finally getting married."

Mac smiled at her. "Yeah, me, too. I'm still afraid this is all a dream, and I'm going to wake up anytime now." She looked at Chloe again. "You're going to be staying with Mattie, and Harm's grandma tonight at the hotel. I hope that's okay with you."

"Isn't Mattie about the same age as me?" she asked.

Mac nodded. "Yes, she is. You two have a lot in common," Mac said, softly.

"I'm sure we'll get along great, Mac, don't worry. Besides, as long as we have movies, popcorn and ice cream, we're all set."

Mac laughed. "Yeah; I'll make sure to warn Grammy."

They pulled up in front of Harm's apartment building, retrieving the suitcase with Chloe's dress before heading upstairs.

Once all of the introductions had been made, Mac took Chloe's dress and hung it up in the closet beside Mattie's. She came out of the bedroom to see Harm standing in the kitchen, his eyes teary, but a huge grin on his face.

Walking over to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey, Sailor, what you thinking about?" she whispered.

Harm looked down at her, love shining in his eyes, before he nodded towards his now-overcrowded apartment, with all of the people talking, laughing and getting to know one another. "For the first time ever, my whole family is together," he said, looking back to her. "I love you."

Mac smiled as he kissed her, before looking over at the crowd. This was her family now, too. For the first time in her life, the word family didn't make her heart hurt. This was where she belonged.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Again, and again, thank you all SO much for the feedback and encouraging words! It really does keep me posting! I took some creative liberties with this, and yes, it's probably a bit cheesy: I recommend a good merlot to go with it; but hey… it's fiction, and it's MY story! J Enjoy…

**15:00 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Saturday**

Admiral AJ Chegwidden, attired in his dress whites, knocked on Colonel Mackenzie's door, and smiled at the young woman who answered. "Hello, Chloe, are we ready to get this ship underway?"

Chloe smiled at the Admiral. "Yes, sir. Just wait 'til you see her… she's _gorgeous_!"

AJ watched as Chloe bounced into the bedroom. "Mac! It's time to go!"

Trish, Sarah Rabb, Harmony, Mattie, and Chloe came out of the bedroom, and introduced themselves, telling him that Mac would be out in just a moment.

"The limousines are downstairs waiting ladies," AJ informed them. "If you'll all be so kind as to meet us down there, we'll be on our way in just a few minutes."

The women all nodded, making their way out of the apartment and down to the waiting limousine. They were no sooner out the door, when Mac came out of the bedroom.

AJ's breath caught in his throat, as he looked proudly at the vision in front of him. "Colonel," he said, holding his arm out for her, "you look lovely."

Mac smiled at him. "Thank you, sir," she said softly, taking his proffered arm. They made their way down to the waiting limousine, and Mac waved at the ladies in the other one, before climbing in.

As they were driving, the conversation was minimal. Mac suddenly realized that they were heading away from the direction that would take them to the church. "Sir? I think the driver is lost," she said.

Admiral Chegwidden smiled. "Oh, he's not lost, Colonel," he told her. "this is one of my wedding gifts to you. You're getting married in the White House rose garden… that is, as long as it's okay with you if the SecNav, the President, the First Lady, and about a dozen Secret Service agents attend the ceremony?"

Mac didn't know what to say. "Sir… how?" she closed her mouth and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't know what to say… thank you, so much."

AJ took her hand and kissed it. "You're very welcome, Sarah," he said, as the limo came to a stop outside of the security gate. After a thorough search of the vehicles, they were allowed to pass through, and when they stopped, AJ climbed out and helped Mac out of the car.

The other ladies came up to her, and smiled. "Are you surprised Mac?" Chloe asked.

Mac laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Yes, I am. Were you all in on this?" she asked, laughing at their nods. She accepted the Admiral's arm, as he motioned ahead of them.

"Shall we?" he asked. "I believe your groom is waiting."

**15:30 EST**

**White House Rose Garden**

**Washington, DC**

Mac took a deep, steadying breath, as she and Admiral Chegwidden started walking down the steps, and her eyes filled with tears when she saw Harm standing beside Chaplain Turner, in front of all of their family and friends. She saw the SecNav, the President, and the First Lady all standing not far away on the left, taking note of the Secret Service agents that were around. Returning her gaze to her handsome groom, her mind wandered back to the first day they'd met… right here, in this very garden. She smiled as they stopped in front of Chaplain Turner.

Harm had to remind himself to breathe when Admiral Chegwidden led Mac towards them. She was a vision in white, as she moved gracefully towards him. He hair was swept up off of her shoulders, with soft curls falling all around, and tiny aqua and white roses interspersed throughout. When they reached the place where he was standing, he smiled as he looked into her eyes.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" Chaplain Turner's deep baritone voice asked.

"I do," Admiral Chegwidden said, happily placing her hand in the crook of Harm's arm. "Don't screw this up," he whispered to Harm, giving him a look that spoke volumes.

Harm looked at him, suddenly serious, and nodded. He knew exactly what the Admiral was referring to, and it wasn't the ceremony.

Chaplain Turner spoke on the importance of the marriage union being a joint effort, and how compromise and communication were cornerstones to a strong and lasting marriage. When he was finished, he looked to Harm. "Do you, Harmon Tyler Rabb, Jr., take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her, recognizing her role as your soul mate, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, for better or for worse, forsaking all others, as long as you both shall live?"

Harm looked lovingly into Mac's eyes. "I do."

Mac smiled, and her gaze fell to his uniform… he was wearing the uniform of a Captain! It momentarily threw her off balance, and she nearly missed what the Chaplain said. She realized Harm was looking at her worriedly.

"Sarah?" Chaplain Turner asked.

Looking at the Chaplain, slightly startled, she smiled. "Of course I do." Everyone chuckled, as she blushed, and Harm looked relieved.

Little AJ handed Harm the rings, and he turned to look at Mac as Chaplain Turner began to speak again, leading Harm through the vows associated with the wedding band.

Then it was her turn. She repeated after the Chaplain nervously. "I, Sarah Amira Mackenzie, give you this ring as a token of my undying love; 'til death do us part."

Chaplain Turner smiled as Harm kissed Mac's hand, and then opened his arms. "By the power invested in me by the District of Columbia, and the Lord God Almighty, I now pronounce you, husband and wife." Looking at Harm, he jerked his head towards Mac. "Kiss your bride, son!"

Harm smiled widely as he pulled Mac to him and kissed her. When he pulled away, he saw that the tears in her eyes matched the ones in his own.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, Captain and Mrs. Harmon Rabb, Jr.," Chaplain Turner said.

Mac looked at Harm while everyone applauded. "When did this happen?" she whispered.

"The Admiral showed up at my place with the new boards this morning," he whispered. "He said the official swearing in could wait until after the wedding ceremony."

They both turned to see the SecNav, the President, and the first Lady standing by them. Immediately coming to attention, they waited for someone to speak to them.

**16:12 EST**

**White House Rose Garden**

**Washington, DC**

"Even in her wedding dress, the Colonel stands at attention," the President commented, saluting them both. "That's my kind of Marine," he said, smiling at her. "As you were," he told them, watching as they relaxed somewhat.

"Sir, I wanted to thank you for allowing us to have our wedding here," Mac said.

"It was our pleasure, dear," the First Lady said to her.

"I do believe we need to make your rank of Captain official, don't we?" the SecNav asked Harm.

"Yes, sir," Harm replied.

"Mr. President?" the SecNav asked, "I believe you wanted to do the honors?"

Harm blanched just slightly, before coming to attention again, as his friends, family and new wife watched as he took the oath of Naval Captain. He saluted the President, before accepting the man's handshake.

"We need to be getting back," the President told them. "But first, I get to kiss the bride," he smiled, coming over and giving an astonished Mac a kiss on the cheek.

The First Lady moved to Harm, and he leaned forward so that she could give him a gentle kiss on the cheek, as well.

"Congratulations, Colonel, Captain." Looking at the assembled group, the President nodded. "Carry on."

With that, the SecNav, the President, the First Lady, and most of the Secret Service agents all left.

Mac smiled, as everyone began crowding around them. They quickly took some photos, and then they were off to the reception.

They arrived at The Willard, and soon the reception was in full swing. They were served a wonderful dinner first, before the music started. Harm and Mac shared the first dance, while everyone looked on at the happy couple. Then Mac danced with AJ, while Harm danced with his mother. They took turns dancing with other family and friends, as we;; as each other, until it was time to cut the cake. They had a great time smashing the cake in each other's face, and Mac had to excuse herself to the restroom to go and fix her makeup.

When she returned from the ladies' room, Bud made a toast. Finally, she sat back sipping at her sparkling cider and enjoying the conversation. She looked up as she saw all of the children, led by Mattie and Chloe, scurry out to the middle of the dance floor. She groaned as she recognized the music.

"Come on, Mac!" Chloe called. "You promised!"

Mac set her glass down, throwing her head back and laughing, as Jimmy came and grabbed her hand, tugging her towards the group of youngsters. Moving to the center of the dance floor, she began dancing 'The Macarena' with the kids, giggling like a little girl the whole time.

Harm watched the scene, a wide grin on his face. When the next song came on and they all started dancing 'the chicken dance' together, he couldn't help the deep laugh that bubbled up from inside.

The final event of the evening came, and Harm smiled lecherously as he lifted the skirt of Mac's dress just enough to retrieve the garter. Helping her to stand, they turned their backs, and tossed their items together. They turned around to see who had caught them, and smiled as they found that Mattie had caught the bouquet, while Little AJ had caught the garter belt.

Everyone laughed, as Little AJ looked alarmingly at Mattie and said, "Does this mean we hafta get married now?" Relaxing once he was assured that he didn't have to get married anytime soon, Little AJ joined the lineup to toss the rice as Harm and Mac made their way out the door to the waiting limousine.

As soon as they were inside the dark confines of the limo, Harm pulled Mac to him. "Alone at last," he said, glancing towards the front where the driver was separated from them by a privacy window. "Well, almost," he chuckled. Cupping Mac's face in his palms, he leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you, Mrs. Rabb," he said.

Mac smiled softly at him. "I love the sound of that; say it again."

Harm rubbed her nose with his, before kissing her again. "I love you, Mrs. Rabb."

"I love you, too, Captain Rabb," she said, glancing at the privacy window. "How long do we have until we arrive at our destination?"

Harm raised an eyebrow, as Mac straddled his waist, kissing him deeply. "At least an hour, maybe more," he said hoarsely. "Why?"

Mac gave him a slow, naughty grin, her eyes sparkling merrily, as she reached beneath her and unbuttoned his pants.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: As always, thank you so much for the great feedback! I really do appreciate it! As I've said before, I haven't been to the places I write about in this story. I just use the 'net to find places with good reviews! Also, in case you haven't figured it out yet… I like fluff. You could probably stuff a mattress with it, I like it so much! Sure there'll be some angst, some tears, and maybe even some fighting, but fluff is my favorite. You have been warned!

JAG doesn't belong to me, however much I wish it did. No infringement is intended. Enjoy…

**08:04 EST**

**On Keegan Pond Bed & Breakfast**

**Fredericksburg, VA**

**Sunday**

Harm kissed the bruised spot on Mac's left hip, before returning to his place in bed. He lay beside her just watching her sleep, a smile on his face. They had the next week off, before they had to be back to work, and he intended to fully enjoy every minute of the time they had. He began lightly caressing her, leaning close enough to lay feather-soft kisses all over her face.

Mac awoke slowly, opening an eye and smiling at her new husband. "Good morning, Sailor," she whispered.

"Mmm… good morning," he said, kissing her thoroughly. "What do you say we go downstairs and get some breakfast?"

Mac stretched, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "I vote we stay here all day."

Harm looked at her, surprise evident. "You're turning down food? I must have done _something_ right," he said, giving her a cocky grin.

"Actually, you did _everything_ right," she whispered, pulling him in for another kiss. Her stomach growled and they both laughed. "Just ignore it," she told him.

Harm shook his head, laughing again. "Uh-uh, Marine. You get way too grouchy when you haven't been properly fed. Come on, let's go downstairs and eat, and then we can come back here if you'd like."

Mac chuckled again. "Okay, okay, I'm moving," she said, climbing out of bed and pulling on some clothes. She opened a small bag and pulled out a syringe, pre-filled with the hormone that Dr. Martindale had prescribed. Pulling the left side of her shorts down just enough to expose her hip, she injected the hormone, and then pulled her shorts back into place and covered the syringe with the safety cap, tossing it into the trash.

She looked up to find Harm standing there watching her intently. "What?" she asked.

"That looks like it really hurts," he told her.

Mac smiled softly. "Only a little bit," she told him. "It really doesn't bother me, and besides, I've told you that the benefits far outweigh any minor discomfort I might have to go through for a short time."

Harm moved to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly. "I love you."

Mac smiled at him. "I love you, too. Now, since you got me out of bed, let's go eat."

**08:56 EST**

**On Keegan Pond Bed & Breakfast**

**Fredericksburg, VA**

Mac popped another piece of croissant into her mouth and laughed at Harm's description of what had happened in his apartment the day before. "I would have loved to see all of you guys cramped into that tiny apartment," she said. "At least you could all tell your uniforms apart by the insignias," she grinned.

Harm rolled his eyes. "Yeah… Frank was the only one wearing a tux, and he was extremely grateful for it, I think."

Mac laughed again. "You should have seen my apartment. Half a dozen women running around trying to get ready… fighting over the bathroom mirror. It was crazy for awhile. I was relieved that Bud and Harriet planned to get ready at their house, and Sergei and his wife planned to get ready at their hotel and meet you at your place. I don't think my apartment could have handled one more woman."

Harm laughed. "Good thing the Admiral is a former SEAL," he said. "He's been trained to infiltrate disaster areas, _and_ enemy territory."

Mac threw a grape at him, as she, too, laughed.

They talked awhile longer as they finished breakfast, before Mac looked outside. "It's a gorgeous morning out there; let's go for a walk."

Harm agreed, and they left, neither having a destination in mind. They were content to just hold hands and enjoy one another's company.

"I saw you visiting with Sergei last night," Mac commented. "How did that go?"

"Surprisingly well," Harm replied. "We… cleared the air about a lot of things. My mom was amazingly gracious, and very kind to him. I asked him to reconsider moving to the U.S. in the future."

"What did he say to that?" Mac asked, not really surprised that Harm would ask. He really wanted to get to know his younger brother.

"He said that he will consider it. We've agreed to start communicating more, via email and telephone," he shrugged. "We'll see how it goes."

Mac smiled, encouraged by Harm's acceptance of his brother's decision. "Are you sure your grandmother is okay with keeping two teenage girls at your apartment for a whole week?" she asked, changing the subject.

Harm laughed. "She's ecstatic about it," he told her. "She really took right to Mattie and Chloe; I wouldn't be surprised if she invites them to come and visit her on the farm in the near future. What did Chloe think of Mattie?"

Mac grinned at him. "She said, and I quote, 'it's so great to finally have a sister to hang out with'," she told him. "They really hit it off; almost as if they really were sisters. Grammy said that she heard them talking late into the night, about losing their moms. I think it helped them to have someone to talk to that has been through it."

Harm nodded. "Yeah." He suddenly laughed. "Oh, man… now we're going to have _three_ girls to watch out for," he said, grinning at her.

Mac laid her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk. "You're going to have your hands full, old man," she said, snickering.

Harm stopped and looked at her. "Old man? Who're you calling old? I'll show you old!" he said, watching as she took off running back towards the Bed & Breakfast, he started to give chase, both laughing. He caught up to her in the front yard, tackling her to the damp grass and tickling her. "Who's old?" he asked.

"Not you, not you!" Mac squealed. "Let me go!" she said, still laughing.

Harm stretched out, partially on top of her and kissed her. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes, still smiling.

"Let's take this inside, eh, Captain?" Mac asked.

Harm kissed her nose and nodded, helping her up. Wrapping his arm around her, they headed back inside and up to their room.

**17:07 EST**

**On Keegan Pond Bed & Breakfast**

**Fredericksburg, VA**

Harm rolled onto his back, and placed his arm around Mac, as she snuggled close to him. Waiting a few moments to catch his breath, he finally kissed the top of her head. "What time is it?" he asked.

"17:10", she answered with a sigh.

"We've been in bed all day?" he asked her, grinning.

Mac smiled up at him. "And we haven't slept a wink," she said, tracing a lazy pattern on his chest, causing him to groan.

"Well, that explains why I'm so hungry," he told her. "Think we should go out and find someplace to eat before it gets much later?"

Mac shrugged her shoulder. "Probably, but I'm so comfortable, I'm reluctant to move."

Harm chuckled, hugging her. "I know how you feel, but we need to eat… gotta keep up our strength."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Mac said, lifting up to look in his eyes, grinning mischievously. "Any ideas on where we should go and eat?"

"Tell you what: you go take a shower, while I look through the book we got when we arrived; see what looks interesting," he told her.

Mac placed a kiss on his chest and nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." Rolling over, she got out of bed, pulling on her robe. Gathering the items she'd need, she opened their door and checked to be sure the coast was clear, before crossing the hall to the bathroom.

Harm sighed happily, as he got up and pulled on his own robe. Sitting at the small table in the corner, he opened the book from the tourism commission, reading through the list of places to eat nearby. Finding one that looked suitable, he picked up the phone and called to find out what time they closed, smiling when he was told that they still had plenty of time. He hung up, and then called for a taxi, gathering his own things for a shower, before flipping open his cell phone and calling his mom.

"Darling, what are you calling me for? You're on your honeymoon," she said.

"I just wanted to check in, and see how everyone is doing," he told her.

"We're all just fine, dear," she said. "Mattie, Chloe and Grammy are getting along famously, Frank and I spent the day with Sergei and his lovely wife, and Harmony decided to stay at her hotel and rest today."

Harm smiled. "I'm glad to hear everything's okay," he told her.

"How are you and Mac doing?" his mother asked. "Did you two get out of bed at all today?"

Harm blushed to his toes, before replying. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we did. We got up this morning for breakfast, and then went for a walk, and we're just getting ready to go out for dinner," he told her.

"But other than that, you've been in bed all day, haven't you?" his mother asked.

"Mother!" he said, blushing again.

"Oh, Harmon, don't be such a prude," his mom said, laughing.

Harm saw Mac open the door, and he smiled at her. "Look, Mom, Mac just walked in; I'd better get going. Give everyone our love, and we'll see you in a few days."

"I will," she told him. "Kiss Mac for us."

"Will do; bye, Mom."

"Goodbye, darling."

Harm hung up the phone, and then smiled at Mac. Standing, he walked over to her and gave her a kiss. "That's from my family," he told her, and then kissed her again, more passionately. "That's from me," he said, smiling.

Mac returned his smile. "Did you find us someplace suitable to eat?" she asked.

Harm nodded. "Yeah. Just let me go shower and dress, and we'll be on our way."

Mac agreed, watching him pick up the things he'd need for his shower. As soon as he was out the door, she put her own shower items away, and turned to the large mirror above the dresser to do her hair and makeup. By the time Harm got back, she was ready to go.

Harm put his shower items away, sitting on the end of the bed to put on his socks and shoes. When he stood up, he smiled at his lovely bride. "Ready?" he asked.

Mac smiled, accepting his proffered arm. "Absolutely."

**18:03 EST**

**Bistro Bethem**

**Fredericksburg, VA**

Harm and Mac were seated shortly after arriving, and sat perusing their menus. Harm settled on the crab cakes and broiled halibut, while Mac decided to be adventurous and try the roast venison.

They talked companionably during dinner, and were deciding what to do the next day, while they ate their meals.

"Well, we have to visit the Marine Corps Heritage Center," Mac told him, grinning as he groaned. "Hey… next time we'll go someplace that has Navy stuff to do."

Harm laughed at her. "Okay… but only if we get to take a horse-drawn carriage tour, too," he told her.

Mac smiled, nodding. "That sounds romantic."

"We could also visit the National Military Park," he told her. "I hear they give guided walking tours."

"Sounds good to me. I'd love to do one of the ghost tours, too," she said.

"Aw, c'mon Mac, you don't really believe in all of that, do you?" he asked, giving her a skeptical look.

Mac shrugged. "I'm open to the possibility."Harm laughed, shaking his head at her. "Okay. We don't have to engrave any plans in stone; let's just take it one day at a time, and see what we feel like doing that day?"

Mac nodded her head. "Why not?"

They finished their meal, and then decided to take a walk and do some shopping. Having bought something for Mattie, Chloe, and Harmony, they passed a small shop that carried baby items, when Harm stopped and stared at something inside the shop.

"C'mon," he said, opening the door, and leading her inside.

Mac was surprised, but followed him in. "What are we doing?" she asked.

Harm grinned at her. "Buying something for our daughter," he replied. "She's going to be here in less than three months."

The lady at the counter looked at Mac in bewilderment, her eyes going to Mac's firm, flat stomach, but didn't comment.

"I thought it was bad luck to buy something for a baby before it was born?" she said hesitantly.

Harm stopped and looked at her. "Oh, Mac… do you really think something bad will happen if we buy her something now?" He pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple. "I have faith that everything is going to be just fine. Trust me?"

Mac pulled back slightly and looked into his eyes. Encouraged by the resolve she saw there, she smiled. "I trust you. What did you want to buy?" she asked, looking around.

Harm walked over by the window and ran his palm along the handcrafted cradle that was in front of him. "Look at this, Mac," he said. "The detail is amazing, and the work is superb."

Mac turned her attention to the cradle. It was, indeed, magnificent. "It's beautiful," she told him, admiring the carvings.

The headboard had a scene from a spring day. There was a tree sitting in a grassy knoll, the sun shining on one side. A few small, fluffy clouds were scattered in the sky, and they were lightly spreading raindrops, while a rainbow spread from behind the tree to the grass below. The outside of the footboard had roses carved into it. Though there was no color to it, save the natural color of the wood, the detail and the design was simply breathtaking.

Mac suddenly teared up, as a melody floated through her head. "It's my lullaby…" she whispered.

Harm looked at her. "What?"

Mac looked at him, a tear slipping down her cheek. "My dad used to sing me a lullaby when I was little… I'd forgotten it until now. These carvings~ the roses, the rainbow, the clouds… even the raindrops… it's from the lullaby he used to sing." Noticing the matching, hand-carved mobile attached to the headboard, she wound it up, and started to cry in earnest. "It's my lullaby," she said again. She looked at Harm. "We have to buy this," she whispered, wiping her eyes with her palms.

Harm smiled softly at her, nodding his head. Walking over to the woman at the counter, he spoke softly to her for several minutes, before handing her a credit card. After a few moments, he signed the slip, and walked over to Mac. "It's going to be delivered to the Bed & Breakfast in the morning," he told her.

Mac nodded, hugging him to her. "Thank you," she said. Mac walked up to the counter and looked at the woman. "Do you know who made the cradle?" she asked.

The woman shrugged. "I'm not sure. We got it from our supplier… he said the guy that made the cradles only did it for a couple of years; he got too sick to keep doing it. All I know for sure, is he lived somewhere out west. He carved his initials, and some sort of tribute, on the bottom of all of the cradles that he made, though." the saleswoman told them.

Harm went over and gently picked up the cradle, looking at the bottom. Eyes wide, he looked at Mac.

Mac came over and looked at the bottom, her eyes again filling with tears.

On the bottom, carved in small letters it read: 'For my Sarah~ JM'.

Harm gently set the cradle back down, and then cupped her face in his palms and looked into her eyes, before kissing her softly. Noting the time, he nodded towards the door. "C'mon, let's head back."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: As always, thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you are enjoying the twists I've come up with!

JAG doesn't belong to me, and I'm not making any money off of this; no infringement intended. Enjoy…

**18:00 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Thursday**

Harm carried their bags in, taking them right to the bedroom. "I just have to go and bring the cradle up," he said, as Mac came in with the shopping bags.

Mac nodded. "Do you need help?" Mac asked.

"I'll probably need you to open and close doors for me," he replied. "It's not really heavy, just awkward because of the length of the box."

"Okay, just let me know when you're ready; I'm going to go toss some laundry in the washing machine," she told him.

Harm smiled. "Okay; I'm just going to use the restroom real quick."

It only took a few minutes, and they had the cradle upstairs, sitting in a corner of the bedroom. Mac had opted to leave it in the box, wanting to keep it protected until after they moved into the house.

Harm wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Are you hungry?"

Mac shook her head. "No; we ate a late lunch. If I get hungry later, I'll grab a sandwich or something. You?"

"No, I'm not hungry, either," he said. "I think I'll wait to call my mom to let her know we're home until tomorrow morning," he told her. "They're not expecting us back until tomorrow night, anyway."

Mac smiled, turning in his embrace. "Hmm… whatever are we going to do with ourselves tonight?" she asked, a mischievous grin on her face.

Harm nuzzled her neck. "Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something," he said, laughing when she started to unbutton his shirt. "Woman, you are insatiable!"

Mac looked into his eyes, suddenly serious. "Only with you," she breathed.

Harm rubbed his nose against hers. "Yeah… me, too," he said softly. Taking her hand, he led her towards the bed.

**19:37 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Mac was resting her chin on Harm's chest, tracing lazy patterns on his skin. She smiled as he opened his eyes and looked down at her. She had pulled the sheet so that it covered her backside, and just barely covered him. "Cold?" she asked him.

Harm shook his head. "Not at all," he replied.

Mac smiled and planted a kiss on his chest. "Good."

Harm ran his hand through her hair, moving down to caress her face. "I love you," he told her.

Mac beamed at him. "I love you, too."

Suddenly, a female voice said, "I'll just put this~" but broke off when she spotted the occupants lying in the bed.

Harm blinked up at his mother. "Mom?" he asked, surprised.

"Darling! You're home early," she stated. "Hello, Mac, dear."

Mac was blushing furiously, as she gave Trish a small smile.

"Mother!" Harm said. "Do you mind?"

Trish waved her hand in their direction. "Oh, don't mind me, I was just bringing some of the wedding gifts over. We figured you'd want to open them when you got home," she said, walking over and setting the wrapped boxes she held in the corner by the box that contained the cradle. Looking curiously at the box, she turned to look at Harm. "Did you buy this while you were gone? I don't remember it being here the other day," she said, indicating the box.

Harm's eyes were about to pop out of his head, while Mac was as red as a tomato.

"Trish? Who are you talking to?" Frank asked, walking into the bedroom. Seeing Harm and Mac's predicament, he focused his gaze on his wife, taking her arm and leading her towards the door. "Come on, dear," he said, "I think they'd like to be alone. At the very least, let them get some clothes on," he murmured, shaking his head at his wife, as he closed the door behind them.

Mac turned her gaze back to Harm, and they stared at one another for a moment, before they both broke out laughing.

"I can't believe she did that," Harm said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I think she gets some kind of perverse pleasure out of embarrassing me."

Mac was laughing so hard, she had tears coming out of her eyes. "Poor Frank," she gasped. "I think he was as embarrassed as we were!"

When they finally got their giggles under control, Harm pulled Mac up closer to him and kissed her. "We'd better get dressed and go see if they're still here."

Mac nodded. "Okay. I need to go put our clothes into the dryer, anyway," she said.

Harm climbed out of bed after Mac rolled off of him, moving quickly to the door and locking it. "Just in case," he grinned at her.

Mac laughed again. "Good idea," she told him, picking her clothes up off of the floor and carrying them into the bathroom.

**20:01 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

Harm opened the bedroom door and looked out, finding his mother and Frank sitting on the sofa, sipping at their tea. Coming out, he smiled at them. "Hello," he said.

Trish returned his smile. "Hello, dear," she said. "I hope I didn't embarrass you."

"Mother!" Harm said, exasperated. "Wouldn't _you_ be embarrassed?"

Trish just grinned at him, winking.

Harm shook his head at her. "Honestly, Mother…"

They laughed, just as Mac came out of the bedroom. She touched Harm on the back, smiling at Frank and Trish. "I need to go put the clothes in the dryer," she said. "I'll be right back."

Harm kissed her nose. "Okay," he said, before taking a seat in the nearby chair.

"So, how was the honeymoon?" his mother asked, as Mac went out the front door.

"Terrific," he said. "We took some tours, including one in a horse-drawn carriage, and had a great time just relaxing and taking time to talk. We learned a lot of things about each other that we didn't know before."

"That's good," Frank replied.

Harm nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"What's in the box in the bedroom?" Trish asked.

"A cradle for Miranda," Harm told her. "We found it our first night, while we were out taking a walk and doing some shopping. I saw it through the shop window, and when we went inside to look at it, Mac fell in love with it. It turns out that her father actually made it. The day after we bought it, I called and made some inquiries, and confirmed it. We found out that her father managed to sober himself up for a couple of years, and started making the cradles. He found a guy that bought them, and sent them to specialty baby shops all over the country. It was a pretty amazing coincidence that we found it," Harm told them.

Trish smiled. "Maybe it was fate."

Harm smiled quizzically at his mother. "I didn't know you believed in fate," he said, just as Mac walked back into the apartment.

His mother looked at him. "Oh, I do, Harmon," she told him. "I really do."

Harm looked at his mom, lost in thought, when Mac came and sat in his lap and smiling at her new in-laws.

"Thank you both for bringing the wedding gifts over," she told them.

"It was our pleasure, dear," Trish told her. "Everyone helped us load them into the SUV after the reception, and they've been locked in there since. We figured we could bring them up here, so you two can start opening them this weekend."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Mac said, looking at Harm. "You can help me write thank you notes, as we open the gifts."

Harm gave her an odd look. "Why don't we just open all of the gifts, and then send the thank you notes?"

Mac shook her head. "Trust me, that _never_ works… something always comes up, and then you forget. It's just better to write the notes as you open the gifts, and then you don't have to worry about it anymore."

Harm shrugged and smiled. "Whatever you think is best, dear," he said, kissing her cheek.

Harm's mother raised an eyebrow at him, smiling. Standing, she picked up her teacup, and then Frank's, before taking them to the kitchen and rinsing them out. When she came back out of the kitchen, she looked at Frank. "We should get back to the hotel," she told him. She looked at Harm and Mac. "We were going to take Harmony to her doctor's appointment tomorrow, but since you're home early, I think you should do it. You can give her a call in the morning, but the appointment is at 1:00," she told them.

"Don't you mean 13:00?" Harm asked, grinning.

His mother gave him a stern look. "Don't be facetious, dear," she said.

Harm smiled, giving his mother a small salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Mac thwacked him lightly on the chest. "Stop it," she whispered, smiling. She stood, and they followed Trish and Frank to the door. "We'll see you tomorrow," she told them.

"Good night," Harm said, hugging his mom, and shaking Frank's hand.

"Good night, son," Frank said. He kissed Mac's cheek. "See you tomorrow, Mac."

Harm closed the door behind them, before turning to pull Mac into his arms. Kissing her, he smiled, touching his forehead to hers. "Alone at last."

**13:05 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac sat holding Harmony's hand, as Dr. Martindale came into the room.

"How are we doing today, Harmony?" Dr. Martindale asked.

Harmony smiled tiredly. "I've been better," she said, giving Mac a grateful smile when she felt her squeeze her hand.

"I'm sure," Dr. Martindale said. "Let's get the exam done, and then we'll do the ultrasound," she said. "Where's Harm today?"

Mac smiled. "He opted to wait in the waiting room until it's actually time for the ultrasound," she said. "I think he gets embarrassed by the exam part."

Dr. Martindale chuckled. "All right; I'll be sure to have the nurse bring him back for the ultrasound, then." She patted the stirrups, helping Harmony get her feet into them, and then doing the vaginal exam. Then she measured her abdomen, before pulling the top of her gown down to do the breast exam. Once she'd finished with the exam, she got her ready to do the ultrasound, sticking her head out the door to ask the nurse if she could go and get Harm.

Harm came in and smiled at Mac, and Harmony, taking the empty seat beside Mac. "Doing okay?" he asked.

Harmony smiled at him, shrugging. "We'll find out in just a minute," she said.

Dr. Martindale put the gel on Harmony's abdomen, and then placed the transducer on her tummy and started moving it around. "Hello there," she said, after a moment. Nodding towards the monitor, she showed them the image on the screen. "There's our girl," she said, smiling. "She looks good; developing just like she should be."

Focusing on the lungs, she zoomed in, the look on her face plainly stating that she didn't like what she saw. Sighing, she finished the measurements she needed, and then shut the machine down, wiping the gel from Harmony's abdomen.

"Well, like I said, she's growing just the way she should be. Unfortunately, her lungs still aren't ready for her to deliver. I'm hesitant to increase the dosage of the steroid, because of the risk of it making the cancer spread faster; I'm afraid it's a race right now," she told them. "We've got to keep Harmony healthy enough, long enough, to get Miranda to a point where her lungs can support her life outside the womb."

Mac squeezed Harmony's hand, while Harm sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "What can we do?" he asked Dr. Martindale.

"Not much, I'm afraid. At this point, the best thing you can do is to take care of Harmony," she told them. "Why don't you get dressed, Harmony? I'll take Harm and Mac next door to do the quick exam I need to do on her."

Harmony nodded, as Mac helped her to sit up. "I'll be there in a minute," she told them.

**13:32 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Dr. Martindale led them out of the room, closing the door, and then took them to the room right next door. Smiling at Mac, she looked at Harm. "Do you want to stay here while I do this?"

Harm looked uncertain. "What do you have to do?" he asked.

"I just have to do a breast exam, to see how the shots are working," Dr. Martindale told him.

Harm raised his eyebrows and looked at Mac. "It's up to you; do you want me to leave?"

Mac smiled, shaking her head. "No, that won't be necessary," she said, removing her shirt, and unhooking and removing her bra before sitting on the exam table.

Dr. Martindale had turned her back to wash her hands, while Mac removed her top and bra. Once she'd washed, she walked over to where Mac was sitting. "Sorry, my hands are probably cold," she told her, smiling. She quickly felt her breasts, and then told her to put her shirt back on. "There are some minor changes, which is good; it means the hormone is working," she told her, and then looked at Harm. "You may notice the changes sooner than she does," she said, smiling, "but you might not." She looked at Mac. "Your breasts will get fuller, and softer, and they'll start to feel warm to the touch. Nursing mothers have built in milk warmers," she said, chuckling. "If you experience any pain or redness, call me immediately," she told her. "Any questions?"

Mac had finished dressing, and shook her head. "None that I can think of," she replied.

Harm looked at Dr. Martindale. "My question is actually about Harmony," he said. "I know she acts like she's okay, but how is she doing, really?"

Dr. Martindale sighed. "She's in therapy, and I really think she's come to terms with what's happening~ what's _going _to happen~ but it's hard on her. Right now, her whole goal is to get to a point where Miranda is healthy enough to be born. That's all she's concentrating on, and to be honest, I think it is all that is keeping her going; she is in very bad shape," she told them. "It is literally a miracle that the cancer hasn't spread to her uterus yet. She has her affairs in order, now that you've all signed the adoption papers. You need to be prepared for the possibility of losing her any day."

Mac took Harm's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "And Miranda?"

Dr. Martindale shrugged slightly, shaking her head. "Just like Harmony, she's in God's hands. All we can do is pray."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks so much for your gracious words of encouragement! It really helps keep this story flowing! I doubt that the position Harm gets in this story exists; I made it up to suit my purposes. Call it creative license… G

As always, JAG isn't mine, and no infringement is intended. Enjoy…

**07:45 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**Monday**

Harm and Mac walked into the bullpen side by side, and were greeted with smiles from the other staff members. They went into their respective offices to put their things away, before heading back out to the bullpen to field congratulations, and questions about their honeymoon from everyone.

"Good morning, sir, ma'am," Petty Officer Jennifer Coates said, once the crowd had dispersed. "I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon."

Harm winked at her. "Oh, we did, Jen, we did," he said, grinning widely.

Mac looked at him, shaking her head, and rolling her eyes at him, but grinning just the same. "We had a lot of fun," she told her.

"The Admiral wants to see you both before the morning staff meeting," Jennifer told them. "He's waiting for you in his office."

"Thanks, Jennifer," Harm said, turning to Mac. "You ready for this?" he asked softly, as they made their way into the outer part of the Admiral's office.

Mac sighed. "Yes, and no," she said. "It makes me sad that one of us has to leave JAG, and I feel guilty that it's going to be you, but I understand that we have to follow regulations."

Harm looked into her eyes. "Hey, I've already told you that our being a family is more important to me than JAG, or the Navy; I meant that. I'm grateful for whatever duty station the Admiral has found for me, as long as I can be with you, and soon, Miranda."

Mac gave him a soft smile, and then nodded. "Okay. Shall we go see what he has to say?"

Harm knocked on the door, waiting just long enough for the Admiral to call them in, before opening the door, and then they went and stood at attention in front of his desk.

"As you were," the Admiral said to them. "Have a seat."

Harm and Mac slipped into the chairs in front of his desk.

Admiral Chegwidden removed his eyeglasses, and set them on the desk in front of him. "So, I trust you two had a good time in Fredericksburg?" he asked, looking up at them with a slight smile on his face.

"Yes, sir, we did," Harm said, returning the smile.

"Good, good," Chegwidden said. Sitting back in his chair, he looked at them. "Well, I suppose you know why I called you both in here," he said.

"Yes sir," Mac replied. "At least, we're assuming it has something to do with Harm leaving JAG Headquarters," she said.

Chegwidden made a face, before nodding. "Well, after many long and tedious meetings," he told them, "the SecNav, the CNO, and I have come up with a solution to the problem of having the two of you under the same command." He picked up a folder off of his desk and handed it to Harm. "Effective immediately, you will be under the direct authority of the Commander of Naval Operations," he told him. "You will be a liaison officer between the CNO's office, and JAG HQ, and you will also be bouncing back and forth between the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill, giving advice on the UCMJ to various Senators and Congress men and women," he told him. "You are to report to the CNO as soon as you can possibly get there; he will fill you in on the details of your assignment. Colonel Mackenzie…" he paused, "or are you going by Rabb, now?" he asked her, realizing they hadn't discussed the issue yet.

Mac looked surprised; she hadn't even thought about it, until now. "Um… for now, sir, I'll stick with Mackenzie here; it will be Rabb for personal affairs. I will let you know when, and if, that changes." she told him, glancing at Harm. She was encouraged by his smile, and nod of approval.

Chegwidden nodded. "Very good," he said, picking up where he left off. "As I was saying, Colonel Mackenzie will be assigned the task of packing up your office. When the CNO sends you back over, she can help you move into your new office upstairs."

Harm and Mac looked at each other, surprised. "Here, sir?" Harm asked.

The Admiral smiled, briefly. "Yes, Captain, your office will be upstairs. When you're not running ragged for the CNO, or some other bigwig, you'll be more or less doing what you're doing now."

Harm and Mac looked at each other, smiling.

"Thank you, sir," Harm said.

"Well, don't thank me just yet, Rabb," he said, chuckling. "Wait a few months before you decide whether or not it was worth it."

Harm looked at Mac, his eyes shining with love. "Oh, it was worth it, sir. That, I can guarantee you."

**15:22 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac looked up at the sound of the knock on her door. Sighing, she figured it must be Lt. Millavich, and she braced herself for whatever might come. "Enter," she called. When she saw who it was, however, her face broke into a grin. "Harm! Come in," she said.

Harm entered her office, closing the door, and then the blinds. Walking around, he kissed her. "I've missed you," he told her.

Mac laughed. "We've only been apart a few hours," she told him.

"It seems like a few years," he told her.

Mac smiled at him, reaching up to kiss him again. "I know… I feel the same way. So, what has your day been like?"

Harm sat in the chair in front of her desk, and sighed deeply. "Hectic. I started out meeting with the CNO, who introduced me to his aide, whom I will be dealing with most of the time. Then I was taken over to the Pentagon, where I was introduced to a number of higher-ups, before I was whisked over to Capitol Hill where I was taken from one office to another, and introduced to just about every Senator and Congress… person… that was in today." He smiled at her. "And that was just before lunch."

Mac laughed. "I'm sorry," she said, walking around the back of the chair and rubbing his shoulders.

Harm chuckled. "It's okay. After a couple of meetings, I was sent over here to officially move into my new office. If you're too busy, I can move myself."

Mac stopped the massage and kissed the top of his head. "Oh, no, I'll be more than happy to help," she told him. "It will keep me away from Lt. Millavich for awhile. If we're lucky, we might finish moving you about the time we have to secure for the day," she said, smiling at him.

"He's really that bad?" Harm asked.

Mac clenched her teeth, taking a deep breath. "Yeah; he really is."

Harm stood, and they walked out of Mac's office.

"Sir!" Jennifer Coates called to Harm. She rushed up to him and handed him a slip of paper. "A woman named Regina Calloway called for you earlier; she said it was important."

Harm looked at the slip of paper in his hands, frowning slightly. He really hoped that there wasn't a problem getting the house. "Thanks, Jen," Harm said.

"You're welcome, sir," Jennifer said, heading back towards her desk.

Mac looked at him. "We should call her back now," she told him.

They returned to Mac's office, and Harm picked up the phone to call Regina. After telling her he was putting her on speaker, he punched the button so Mac could be a part of the conversation.

"Thank you for calling me back so soon," Regina said.

"Is everything all right?" Mac asked.

"Actually, everything is great. Your paperwork got pushed through, and the money was delivered to the owner this morning. You have no idea how unusual that is," she said, laughing. "If you two are available Wednesday, you can sign the final papers and get the keys. The house is officially yours."

Mac could hardly contain herself, and when she looked at Harm, she saw that he, too, was thrilled by the news.

"What time on Wednesday?" Harm asked.

"Well, the owner is going to be in town, so she's going to sign before she leaves in the afternoon. I have another appointment after that, but I can meet you at the house at six o'clock… er, I mean, 18:00 hours, if that works for you?"

"We'll be there," Mac said, smiling at Harm, who nodded in agreement.

"Great," Regina said. "We'll see you then." The line clicked, and went dead, before Harm turned off the speaker phone.

"The house is ours!" Mac squealed, jumping into his arms, laughing.

Harm hugged her to him, laughing as well. He kissed her deeply, and when he looked up, Lt. Millavich stood in the doorway, glaring at them. Letting Mac go, he looked at the young man. "Can we help you Lieutenant?" he asked.

Lt. Millavich held up a folder. "I have the Blackwood report for you, ma'am," he said, completely ignoring Harm.

Mac looked at him, slightly annoyed. "Set it on my desk, Lieutenant," she said. When he complied, she nodded. "Thank you; that will be all."

Lt. Millavich came to attention before leaving the office and closing the door. Scowling the whole way, he stalked back to his office.

**18:17 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Wednesday**

Regina handed the keys to Harm, as soon as Mac had finished signing her name. "Congratulations," she said, smiling. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you, for everything, Regina," Mac said, shaking the woman's hand.

Harm, too, shook her hand. "Thank you, so much."

"It was my pleasure," she said. "Enjoy your new home; I'll show myself out." With that, she collected the papers and left them alone, standing in the kitchen.

Mac looked around at the house, hardly able to believe it was really theirs. "Did you call your parents?" she asked.

Harm laughed. His family had all gone home on Sunday, after Mattie's dad had picked her up, and Chloe had gotten on her plane. Other than having had dinner with Harmony last night, to tell her the good news about the house, they hadn't told anyone. "Not yet. I was waiting until the paperwork was signed, and we had the keys."

Mac smiled at him. "I understand," she said. "We have so much to do…" she told him. "Although, it looks like someone came in and cleaned the place."

Harm nodded. "Regina told me she hired a cleaning crew to come in and clean it top to bottom today. Unless we want to change anything beforehand, the place is ready to move into," he told her.

Mac's eyes widened, and she held up her hand. "Hold that thought…" she said, rushing out the front door. She came back in with their sea bags.

Harm raised an eyebrow. "What do we need those for?" he asked.

"We've got to try out that tub in the master bathroom," she said, smiling coyly at him.

Harm grinned at her. "I like the way you think, Marine," he said, accepting the hand she held out to him.

Together, they walked up the stairs into their new bedroom.

**19:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac looked up at the ceiling and chuckled. "The first thing we need to move, is the bed," she told Harm. "I think I've got rug burn."

Harm laughed. "Hopefully it won't affect your ability to sit down tomorrow. I'd love to see you explain that to the Admiral."

Mac swatted him lightly. "Hey!"

"What time is it?" Harm asked.

"19:32," she replied. "We should head back to my apartment," she said. "I have court tomorrow, so I need to try to get some sleep tonight, and there's no way I'd be able to sleep on this hard floor."

Harm nodded. "I have a meeting at the Pentagon at 08:00, so I need to get some sleep, too."

Pushing herself up off of the floor, Mac grabbed her civvies out of her sea bag, watching as Harm moved slowly to a standing position and followed suit.

After they finished dressing, They gathered up their belongings and went downstairs, locking up the house before they climbed into the SUV and started the drive back to Mac's apartment.

Mac sat quietly looking out the window as Harm drove. "Harm?" she suddenly said.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I was thinking, maybe I need to trade my car in for something a little more… family friendly," she told him. "I love my 'vette, but it's not really a good car to be driving a baby around in."

Harm smiled. "If that's what you want to do," he answered. "We could always just arrange it so that whoever has Miranda takes the SUV," he told her.

Mac thought about it for a bit. "No, I think I want something safer for Miranda, and for me. I know that after I wrapped my other one around that tree at Christmas, I was pretty nervous driving the new one around for awhile. I think I'd just feel safer if we got something a little sturdier," she told him.

Harm smiled at her. "All right; after we get settled into the house, we'll go car shopping," he told her.

"Thanks," she said, returning his smile.

They arrived at Mac's apartment, carrying their sea bags, which contained their uniforms, up with them. They quickly re-packed their bags, setting them beside the door, before making dinner. After they had eaten and cleaned up, Harm called his parents with the happy news about the house. When he was finished on the phone, he found Mac ready for bed. Smiling, he went into the bathroom to get ready for bed himself.

As they snuggled down under the covers for the night, Mac sighed happily. Other than the situation with Harmony, all was right in her world. She determinedly shushed the inner voice that told her that this couldn't possibly last, before kissing her husband good night and falling asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: As always, thanks so much for the gracious feedback! For those of you that have asked, the cradle, and the lullaby, will appear again later. Enjoy…

**16:52 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Saturday**

Mac collapsed back against the sofa in the family room, sighing as Harm collapsed right beside her. "I'm exhausted, and we've barely started!" she said.

Harm laughed. "Yeah… now aren't you glad I insisted on hiring a moving company?" he asked.

Mac laughed. "That was pretty brilliant of you," she told him. "Does Harmony need any help?" she asked.

"She said she's fine for right now, but I made her promise me that if she needs any help, she'll come and ask us. I vote we order in for dinner; especially since the kitchen is still packed," he told her.

"Chinese or Pizza?" Mac asked him.

Harm shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me, I'm starving."

Mac raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I should run down and get some burgers?" she asked, grinning.

"I'm not that hungry," Harm said, grinning at her. "Besides, the whole point of ordering in, is that you don't have to go anywhere."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Mac said, laughing again. "Let me go see what Harmony's in the mood for." Standing, she made her way through the kitchen, out the door that would take her to Harmony's small apartment.

Harm's cell phone rang, and he answered it. He was just hanging up, a disgusted look on his face, when Mac came back in.

"We decided on pizza and barbecue wings," she said, pausing at the look on his face. "What is it?"

"I have to fly out in the morning with the CNO to the Seahawk," he told her. "There's been an incident with a Russian battleship, and they need us to come out and smooth things over."

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Mac asked him.

Harm shrugged. "I don't know, but I hope it isn't too long. I really wanted to help you and Harmony get unpacked and settled."

Mac wrapped her arms around his waist. "I know, but this is part of life in the military," she told him. "I'm sure it won't take too long to deal with, and you will be back in no time."

Harm nodded again. "At least my bag is already packed. C'mon, let's order dinner. I actually have to fly the CNO out in a F-18, so I need to get some decent sleep tonight."

Mac looked surprised. "You're flying a Hornet?"

"I'm due to re-qualify, so they decided now is as good a time as any," he told her. "Since the CNO used to be a pilot, he's more than happy to fly out with me."

Mac nodded, picking up her cell phone to call the pizza place. "Well, we'd better get moving, then," she said.

**17:38 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Thursday**

Mac walked in through the kitchen door from the garage, and went straight to the office to set her briefcase and purse down. When she'd done that, she went to hang her cover on the hook inside the closet in the foyer. After that was accomplished, she went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water, and found a note from Harmony, saying that she'd gone out shopping.

Harm had been gone all week, and though they had exchanged emails and a few phone calls, she missed him terribly. He was supposed to be coming home tonight, even though he didn't know for sure what time.

Sighing, she went upstairs and started the bath running, before taking off her uniform and hanging it up in the closet. Once she settled herself into the tub, she allowed herself to relax.

They had gotten another new lawyer at JAG HQ on Tuesday, and Mac was, again, in charge of making sure the newbie~ in this case, a she~ was settled in. At least Lt. Wheelman was a breath of fresh air compared to Lt. Millavich. While Millavich was cocky, rude, and often crass, Lt. Wheelman was quiet, reserved and extremely polite. It was like night and day, Mac mused.

She had met with Admiral Chegwidden that afternoon to discuss options for what to do with Lt. Millavich. She really didn't feel that he was going to work out, as he had been there for several weeks already, and hadn't shown any signs of changing his ways. She had highly recommended that he be transferred to another posting, or even sent out on a ship, feeling that maybe a few years 'out in the field', as it were, would help him to grow.

Letting the water out of the tub, she got out and dried off, pulling on her black silk robe and heading downstairs to find something to eat.

Hearing a noise behind her in the kitchen, she turned around; the last thing she saw before everything went dark, was a fist heading her way.

**18:26 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harmony noticed a strange car parked in the driveway as she pulled into the garage. Getting out of her car, she grabbed the grocery bags sitting on the front seat and carried them into the kitchen. Not seeing anyone in the kitchen, or the family room, she set the bags on the counter and went to look for Mac.

"Mac?" she called, walking around the bar and through the dinette to the living room. She paused when she saw signs of a struggle in the living room. "Mac?" she called again, cautiously making her way to the foyer. Finding the front door open, she frowned. When she looked out the front door, she saw the car that had been parked out front speeding out of the driveway. Heading back to the kitchen, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed 911. As soon as she was told that the police were on their way, she hung up. Then she went to the office and found the rolodex on the desk, looking up a phone number. Dialing the other number, she waited for the person on the other side to answer. "Chegwidden," a gruff voice said.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir," Harmony said, "but this is Harmony McMillan… Harm's cousin."

"Oh, yes, of course," Admiral Chegwidden answered. "How can I help you?"

Harmony quickly filled him in on what had happened. "I don't know when Harm's supposed to be back, but he should know. The police are on their way now."

Chegwidden sighed. "Thank you, Harmony. I'll be there as soon as I can," he told her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Harmony wiped a tear from her cheek. "Yeah, I think so," she said. "Just worried about Mac." They said their goodbyes, and then Harmony hung up her cell.

**19:04 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm pulled the SUV into the driveway, noting the police cars and the NCIS truck out front. Frowning, he didn't even bother to kill the engine, as he jumped out.

An agent met him before he got to the door. "Captain Rabb? I'm Special Agent Moyer," she told him.

Harm nodded briefly. "Where's my wife?"

Agent Moyer put a hand on his arm. "Your wife is missing, sir."

"What do you mean _missing_?" Harm asked. "Where's Harmony?"

Agent Moyer lifted a hand in a gesture to silence him. "Your cousin is fine, she's inside with your wife's CO. Someone broke into your house and attacked your wife," she told him. "We don't know who, or why, but we're doing our best to find out."

Harm was already making his way into the house. "Harmony!" he called. "Harmony!" He ran through the living room, into the family room, where he found Admiral Chegwidden sitting beside Harmony on the sofa.

Chegwidden looked up when he heard Harm's voice, and stood. "Harm," he said, standing and motioning him back towards the living room.

"Admiral? How is Harmony? What happened?" he asked.

"Easy, son," Chegwidden said. "Harmony's a bit shaken up, but she's not hurt. Apparently she came home from the grocery store, and saw an unfamiliar vehicle in the driveway. When she came in to put the groceries away, she started looking for Mac, but instead found signs of a struggle in the living room, and the front door open. When she looked out the front door, she saw the vehicle that was parked there before speeding away. She didn't see who was driving, or any sign of Mac, and she only got a couple of numbers from the plate. NCIS is trying to track it down, based on her description of the vehicle, and they've put out a BOLO," he told him.

Harm frowned. "Do they have any other leads at all, sir?" he asked.

Chegwidden sighed. "No, I'm afraid not. All we can do now is wait."

Harm looked at him, the frustration evident. "Sir, waiting has never been my strong suit."

Chegwidden nodded. "I'm acutely aware of that, Captain, but right now you need to take care of your cousin, and let NCIS do their job."

Harm took a deep breath and looked over at Harmony, before nodding to his former CO. Walking over and sitting beside her on the sofa, he pulled her into his arms while she started to sob.

**19:43 EST**

**A Basement Somewhere in VA**

Mac awoke slowly, trying to shake the haze from her brain. She tried to move her arms, but found that she couldn't. Looking up, she found that her hands were handcuffed behind her, and she was lying on a bed. Her robe was open, and torn, and she felt like hell. A sudden wave of fear washed over her.

"Good, you're finally awake," a male voice said. Stepping into the light, Lt. Millavich leered at her again. "Things will be much more fun with you awake."

Mac forced herself to swallow back the rise of bile. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Lt. Millavich sneered at her. "You think you're so righteous… so much better than everyone else. I'm going to take you off of that pedestal everyone has you on, and teach you some humility."

Mac frowned at him. "I don't think I'm better than anyone else," she said. "What are you talking about?"

Again, he sneered at her, eyeing her naked body. "Don't play dumb with me, _Colonel_."

Mac stared at him, truly frightened now. It was obvious he was drunk, and she definitely didn't like the way he kept looking at her. She wished she could cover herself, but he had her handcuffed so tightly, she couldn't even turn on her side.

Moving to the bed, Lt. Millavich sat beside her, caressing her hair. "Don't worry, Sarah," he said, "you'll be very pleased with the things I do to you."


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: I love the feedback! Thanks so much; you all rock! Sorry, but I'm not doing an NCIS crossover this time… maybe another time! Okay, no more chit chat… Enjoy!_

_**21:27 EST**_

_**A Basement Somewhere in VA**_

_Mac lifted her head, trying to make the world around her stop spinning. Lt. Millavich would tell her about all of the things he planned to do to her, before telling her how he was going to make her pay. She still had no idea what she was supposed to be paying for. When he tired of talking to her, he'd hit her until she finally lost consciousness again. She was terrified that he was going to sexually assault her one of these times, but she hid her fear well. So far, all he'd done was threaten, and ogle, her._

_She knew that it was 21:30, and she knew that by now Harmony would be home, so someone_ knew she was missing. But she didn't know if anyone had any idea who had taken her, or where she was, especially since she didn't even know where she was.

The door suddenly burst open, and Lt. Millavich came and uncuffed her, holding a gun leveled at her head. "Don't try anything stupid," he told her. "I'd be more than happy to use this on you."

Mac winced when he grabbed her wrist, pulling her from the bed. She was trying to pull her robe around her, but it was difficult with one hand, especially since she was being dragged up a flight of stairs.

When they got to the top of the stairs, Millavich put his arm around her neck, holding her against him, the gun pointed at her temple. "Don't move," he ordered.

"Lt. Millavich! This is NCIS; come out with your hands in the air," a male voice enhanced by a bullhorn called.

**21:27 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Agent Moyer answered her cell phone, glancing at Harm, who was sitting on the sofa. "Moyer," she said. Listening to the person on the other end, she took a breath. "Yeah, got it," she replied. "We're rolling now." She disconnected the call and looked over to Harm and Admiral Chegwidden. "We've got a location," she told them. "A team is there, and we're supposed to head in that direction, in case they find her."

Harm looked at Harmony. "I want you to stay here. Things might get a little hairy, and I want you far away from any danger."

Harmony was about to protest, but thought better of it. "Call me?"

"As soon as I know anything; promise," he told her, following Admiral Chegwidden and Agent Moyer out the door.

They were heading towards the location in Agent Moyer's car, when her cell phone rang. "Moyer," she answered. She listened to the caller, her face darkening. "Damn it!" she said. "Who's in charge of negotiations?" She listened again, and shook her head. "Tell that bastard he'd better not get her killed," she growled into the phone. "I'll be there in ten." Gunning the engine, she swerved to avoid the car in front of her.

Harm looked at her from the back seat. "What's going on?"

"Lt. Millavich is using Colonel Mackenzie as a shield, and he has a gun to her head," she told him. "Agent Dyer is in charge of negotiations. Problem is, he generally cares less about the well being of the hostage, and more about taking down the perp. We've got to get there before either of them does something stupid."

Admiral Chegwidden pulled out his phone, dialing a number. "This is Admiral AJ Chegwidden, JAG Corps," he said. "I want to speak to your director, immediately! I don't care what time it is! Wake her up!" he barked. He waited a few minutes to be connected. "Director, there is a JAG Lieutenant holding a JAG Colonel hostage. Your people are on the scene, along with the MP's, and I was told that Agent Dyer is in charge of negotiations," he listened for a minute before responding. "Yes, well, I am enroute right now… since this involves two JAG officers, I expect to be handed the case the minute I arrive. You need to inform your man to stand down, and tell him that the moment I arrive on scene, I am in charge." Getting a satisfactory response, he thanked the Director and hung up the phone. He met Harm's grateful eyes in the rearview mirror, and nodded once.

They pulled up to the scene and made their way through the semi-controlled chaos to the front, where Agent Dyer held the bullhorn. He glared at them when they stepped up. "You must be Chegwidden," he said sourly.

"That's right; what's the situation?" he asked.

"Still no change," Dyer replied. "Millavich is holding Mackenzie hostage, and he refuses to speak to anyone. He says if we come any closer, he'll kill her."

"Thank you Agent Dyer," Admiral Chegwidden said. "You may stand down, now." Holding his hand out for the bullhorn, he lifted it to his mouth the minute Agent Dyer gave it to him. "Lt. Millavich! This is Admiral Chegwidden; I am giving you a direct order: release Colonel Mackenzie and come out with your hands in the air!"

**21:53 EST**

**Millavich Home**

**Fairfax, VA**

Lt. Millavich tightened his hold on Mac's throat when he heard Admiral Chegwidden. Moving them closer to the door, he yelled out. "I can't do that, sir!" He adjusted his grip on the gun slightly, pushing it further into Mac's temple. "Don't come any closer, or I will shoot her, sir!"

Harm's eyes widened when he saw the condition Mac was in. Her face was bruised and bloody, her robe was hanging open so that some of her naked form was visible, and Millavich held her tightly around the neck with a gun pointed at her head. A murderous rage bubbled up inside of him, and he had to take several deep breaths to keep himself from storming up to the house. He had to get himself under control, or Mac was dead.

After he calmed himself down, he looked at Admiral Chegwidden. "Is there a back way in?"

Chegwidden looked at Harm, expecting to see a man nearly out of control; instead, what he saw chilled him. Harm's face was a cloud of intense fury, but there was no doubt in his mind that Harm was completely in control. "I'll keep him talking; you go find out," he told him. "Get a weapon from someone… and Captain? I expect her to come out of this alive."

Harm didn't miss the fact that the Admiral made no such expectations for Millavich. Nodding, he went to one of the MP's and acquired a weapon, before silently making his way around the back of the house. Moving to the back door, he silently tried the handle, cursing when he found it was locked. Looking around for another way in, he noticed the outside entrance to the basement.

Moving to the steps, he descended them quietly, before trying the handle to the door. When it turned easily, he quietly opened the door just enough for him to squeeze through, before making his way into the basement. Seeing the bed with the handcuffs, he scowled, again clamping down on his rage.

Making his way silently up the steps, he pushed the door open just enough to peer inside. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he slipped inside and made his way towards the front of the house. When he moved into the living room, he could see Millavich holding Mac, while standing near the front door. A creaking floorboard gave him away, and Harm winced as Millavich spun around to face him.

"What are you doing?" Millavich yelled, looking at him. "Don't come any closer or I'll kill her!"

Harm blew out a breath, raising his hands in the air. "I'm not moving," he said. "Let Colonel Mackenzie go, and we'll talk about this."

Lt. Millavich sneered at him. "You think I'm some kind of fool, Rabb?" he asked. "The minute I let her go, I'm a dead man."

Harm shook his head, keeping his hands up as he knelt to put the gun down on the floor. "No… I give you my word; if you let her go, you _will_ walk out of here. Why don't you tell me why you've taken Colonel Mackenzie in the first place?"

Millavich's eyes darted back and forth, as he moved further into the room. "She thinks she's so perfect; so much better than me!" he said. "She didn't even _recognize_ me!"

Harm latched onto this, giving Mac a look that spoke volumes. "You know Colonel Mackenzie from somewhere?"

"Yes! I served with her in Okinawa… I was just a Petty Officer back then, but I fell in love with her. When I found out that she'd gone off to become a lawyer, I worked my ass off to follow her. I did _everything_ to make sure that we'd be together again, and when I finally get to JAG, she not only doesn't recognize me, she marries you!" he seethed. "All my hard work for _nothing_!"

Harm tried to keep his expression neutral. "I understand," he started.

Millavich tightened his hold on Mac's neck, and she started turning red, gasping for air. "No you don't! Shut up! How could you understand? You have everything! You've been a pilot, and a lawyer… you're a goddamned hero… I'm nothing to her!"

"Millavich! Let her go… you're choking her!" Harm said, standing up, but still keeping his hands in front of him. He was alarmed by the madness he saw in Lt. Millavich's eyes. "Let her go and we'll talk about this." He watched helplessly as Millavich tightened his hold on Mac, until she finally lost consciousness.

Millavich looked at Mac for an instant, as her body went limp. A shot rang out from the front door, and he and Mac toppled to the ground.

**22:16 EST**

**Millavich Home**

**Fairfax, VA**

Admiral Chegwidden saw Lt. Millavich turn around, and pull Colonel Mackenzie with him away from the door. Knowing that he must have somehow figured out Rabb was behind him, AJ cursed softly. He commandeered a weapon from a nearby NCIS agent, before slowly making his way towards the front door. Rabb was keeping Millavich talking, so he might be able to get close enough to get a shot off.

He suddenly heard Harm's voice, yelling to Millavich that he was choking Colonel Mackenzie. Looking up, he saw Mac's body go limp, falling out of the line of fire. Taking his shot, he nailed Millavich in the back of the head, watching as they both toppled forward.

He rushed in the front door, noticing the MP's were right behind him, and found Harm pulling Mac out from under Millavich, rolling her onto her back and starting CPR. "Get a medic!" he barked towards the group behind him.

Harm had pulled Mac out from under Millavich's body, rolling her onto her back and listening for signs of life. Not finding any, he began CPR, barely aware of the Admiral calling for help, as he fought to save his wife's life.

After a few minutes of performing CPR, he finally got a pulse, but Mac remained unconscious. He looked helplessly at Admiral Chegwidden, just as the Emergency Medical Technicians arrived and took over.

AJ gently moved Harm out of the emergency crew's way. "Let them do their jobs, son," he said softly. As soon as the medics had Mac ready to transport to the hospital, he led Harm to the ambulance. "This is her husband; he's going with you," he told them in a tone that would brook no argument. "I'll call Harmony, and we'll meet you at the hospital," he told Harm, just before the doors of the ambulance closed. Finding out which hospital they were taking her to, he nodded and turned away.

**23:18 EST**

**Inova Fairfax Hospital**

**Fairfax, VA**

Harmony raced into the emergency room and found Harm and Admiral Chegwidden sitting in the waiting area. "How is Mac?" she asked.

Harm looked at her. She was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Standing, he pulled her to him in a hug. "The doctor is looking at her now," he told her. "Are _you_ okay? You're awfully pale," he told her.

Harmony nodded, sitting in the chair Harm indicated. "I've been so worried, I haven't eaten or slept," she told him. "I'll be fine after some food, and some sleep."

Harm placed his palm on Harmony's extended abdomen, feeling Miranda give him a few good kicks. "You should be getting some rest," he told her.

Harmony was about to reply, when the doctor came out. "Mr. Rabb?" he asked.

Harm stood and moved to the doctor. "Yes? How is my wife?"

The doctor looked intently at him. "She's got a few cracked ribs, and a severe concussion," he told him, "along with some serious bruising and lacerations to the face. She's going to hurt like hell for a few days, at least, but she'll be fine."

Harm swallowed hard, not really wanting the answer, but needing to know. "Was she sexually assaulted?"

The doctor frowned. "She wasn't raped, if that's what you're asking. Anything beyond that, you'll have to wait until she's conscious to ask her," he told him.

Harm grimaced, but nodded. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?" he asked.

"She sustained a serious concussion, so there's some minor swelling of the brain. Between that, and the pain killers we gave her, I figure she'll be out for a couple hours more, at least," the doctor told him.

"Can I see her?" Harm asked.

The doctor smiled and nodded. "Yes. She's in exam 104," he told him. "Once she's conscious, we'll move her up to a regular room; I want to keep her for a bit to monitor her, especially given the concussion."

Harm nodded. "Thank you, Doctor," he said, shaking the man's hand. He looked to the Admiral. "Would you like to come back with me?"

The Admiral looked at Harmony, before shaking his head. "I'm going to take this young lady down and get her something to eat," he told Harm. "We'll be back in awhile."

Harm gave the Admiral a grateful look, nodding. "Thank you, sir."

"Go see your wife, Captain," the Admiral told him. "That's an order."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: As always, I want to thank everyone for their gracious, wonderful feedback! It honestly keeps me posting this story! Enjoy…

**01:37 EST**

**Inova Fairfax Hospital**

**Fairfax, VA**

Harm sat in the chair beside Mac's bed, holding her hand and absently stroking it with his thumb.

Admiral Chegwidden had taken Harmony to get something to eat, and then they'd come in to see Mac briefly. Since Harmony had driven Harm's SUV to the hospital, AJ had volunteered to take Harmony home so that she could get some sleep. Harm had promised both of them he would call them with an update in the morning.

The doctor had been in twenty minutes ago, and he was encouraged to see that Mac seemed to be coming around. Telling Harm to just be patient, he had left, promising to return in thirty minutes.

Mac moaned softly, and turned her head slightly.

Harm leaned forward, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it. "That's it, honey, wake up," he said, brushing her bangs from her forehead with his free hand. "Come on, Marine, snap to," he said softly.

Mac moaned again, turning her head in the direction of his voice, her eyes fluttering softly. "Harm?" she whispered.

Harm smiled. "I'm here, love; wake up," he told her.

Mac took a deep breath, and winced, before opening her eyes again. "Where am I?" she breathed.

"In the hospital," Harm told her. "You're pretty beat up."

"Millavich?" she whispered.

"Dead." Harm said.

Mac frowned. "You?"

Harm shook his head. "Admiral Chegwidden," he told her. "Just take it easy, you're safe now."

Mac nodded, wincing again. "Pain…" she said quietly.

Harm pushed the button for the nurse. "I don't know if they'll give you anything else," he told her. "You have a pretty bad concussion, but we can ask."

Mac closed her eyes briefly, before looking at him again as the nurse came in.

Seeing Mac was awake, the nurse smiled at Harm. She moved to the bed, turning off the call light and looking at Mac. "Do you need something dear?"

"Something for the pain?" Mac asked, softly.

The nurse nodded. "I'll go call the doctor, to see if he'll let us give you something else."

"Thank you," Mac said.

The nurse smiled at her, before leaving the room.

Harm looked at Mac. "Honey, Admiral Chegwidden is going to need a statement from you. This has turned into an official JAG investigation," he told her. "He said he can wait until later, but I wanted to warn you."

Mac nodded. "I figured as much. I'm surprised NCIS isn't fighting over jurisdiction," she said quietly, licking her dry lips.

Harm smiled smugly. "The Admiral isn't giving them a choice." He picked up the pitcher with the ice chips in it, putting some on the spoon and giving them to Mac.

Mac smiled tiredly, as she sucked on the ice chips. Admiral AJ Chegwidden was a force to be reckoned with, when he wanted something. "Thank you," she said softly.

The doctor came in, walking to the bed. "Mrs. Rabb, I'm Dr. Cardinal. How are you feeling?"

Mac gave him a weak smile. "Like I was run over by a truck."

He let out a small chuckle. "I can imagine." Pulling out a pen light, he shined it into her eyes, before taking her blood pressure and temperature, and then listening to her heart and lungs. "You have a really nasty concussion, as well as a couple of cracked ribs, so I'm keeping you overnight. If there aren't any complications, you can go home tomorrow," he said, before looking at her intently, glancing at Harm. "I have to ask you something sensitive, so if you'd like your husband to leave, he can."

Mac took a deep breath, wincing at the pain, before shaking her head. "I think I know what it is… Harm can stay. He didn't rape me," she said, softly.

Dr. Cardinal nodded. "I know that much for sure. Did he… do anything else? The robe you were wearing was torn, and untied; I sent it to forensics."

Mac swallowed, squeezing Harm's hand. "He never touched me sexually," she said. "He'd ogle me, and threaten to do other things, but he never followed through. He just beat me up between bottles of alcohol."

Harm was relieved to hear that Millavich hadn't touched Mac in that way. He leaned forward and kissed her temple.

Mac smiled tiredly at him. "You should go home and get some sleep," she told him.

Doctor Cardinal nodded his agreement. "I'm going to have her moved up to a room," he told him. "Once she's settled, you should go home and get some rest. We'll give her some more pain meds, so she'll be out of it for most of the night."

Harm looked at Mac. He didn't really want to leave her, but knew that they were both right. "Okay; once you're settled upstairs, I'll go home for awhile."

Mac smiled at him, nodding. "Good boy."

**09:23 EST**

**Inova Fairfax Hospital**

**Fairfax, VA**

Harm knocked on Mac's door before poking his head through, smiling when he saw that Mac was awake. "Hey, gorgeous," he said, as he walked in and moved to her bed. "How are you this morning?"

Mac smiled softly. "Better now that you're here," she told him. "I hurt like hell, but I'm hesitant to keep taking the pain meds, since I have a history of addiction."

Harm nodded, taking her hand. "Is there anything over the counter they can give you?"

"Yeah, they gave me some ibuprofen earlier. It takes the edge off, but not much more," she told him, looking at the bag he held. "I take it those are my clothes?"

Harm lifted the bag, nodding. "Just as you requested," he said, grinning. "Any idea what time they're going to let you out of here?"

Mac sighed. "Dr. Cardinal went home early this morning, so another doctor is supposed to be coming by sometime. The nurse really didn't have any idea what time that would be, so I'm stuck here until he decides to show up. How is Harmony?"

"She's doing as well as can be expected," he told her. "She has an appointment with her oncologist this morning, and then her weekly appointment with Dr. Martindale," he told her.

"Does she want us to go with her?" she asked. "Even if they haven't let me out of here yet, you can go."

Harm shook his head. "She said that she'll be fine on her own for today; she insisted that I come and stay with you."

Mac smiled. "She's such a sweet girl."

"Yeah, she is," Harm said softly. Changing the subject, he kissed her hand. "I called to have the painters scheduled, and I saw that you found a changing table that matches the wood for the cradle," he said, smiling. "Do you still want Miranda to sleep in our room for the first few months?"

Mac nodded. "I've been reading a lot about it, and it won't hurt. In fact, some specialists say that it's good for the baby to be close by for the first three to six months. She can move to the nursery once she's a little older," Mac told him. "I'll feel better if she's close to us for the first few months."

Harm smiled at her. "I love you," he told her, leaning forward to kiss her.

Mac returned his smile. "I love you, too. Speaking of Miranda, did you bring the syringe I need?"

Harm opened a side pocket on her bag, pulling out the wrapped, pre-filled syringe. "Here you are."

"Thanks," Mac said, removing the wrapping and turning so that she could inject the hormone into her left hip.

Harm waited until she'd engaged the safety cap, before he took the syringe from her and threw it in the trash. Then he looked at her. "Any significant changes?" he asked curiously.

Mac gave him a seductive smile. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Harm hesitated. "Are you sure? I thought… after everything that happened yesterday…" he shrugged. "I don't want to push you."

Mac's smile turned tender, and she cupped his face. "I love you, do you know that?" she said, leaning forward to kiss him softly. "I'm okay; really." She took his hand and moved it to her left breast.

Harm carefully felt it, smiling. "Wow," he said, moving his hand to take her own. "I'd say that's pretty significant."

Mac nodded. "Dr. Martindale is happy with the results." She moved over to one side of her bed, patting the narrow spot beside her. "Come here," she said. "You've been gone all week, and I had a terrible day yesterday; just come here and hold me for awhile?"

Harm moved to the spot beside her, turning to his side so he could pull her close to him. Once they'd settled, he closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head. "I was so scared yesterday, Mac," he said softly. "I don't know what I'd do, if anything happened to you."

Mac lifted her face to kiss his chin. "Shh… I know."

**11:47 EST**

**Inova Fairfax Hospital**

**Fairfax, VA**

Dr. Jameson smiled when he came in and saw the couple sleeping soundly on the bed. He hated to disturb them, but he had to check on Mrs. Rabb, to make sure that she was cleared to go home. Moving to the bed, he gently shook her awake.

Mac awoke, turning her head to see a doctor standing beside her bed. Blinking rapidly to clear away the last of the cobwebs in her brain, she turned to sit up, waking Harm in the process.

When Harm saw the doctor, he moved back to the chair, sitting quietly for a few moments to allow himself to wake up more.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," Dr. Jameson said. "I'm Dr. Jameson; let's check you out, so we can see if you can go home today."

Mac smiled softly. "That would be nice," she told him.

Dr. Jameson chuckled, pulling his pen light out and shining it in her eyes. "Good, good," he said. "Any headaches, nausea or vomiting?"

"No," Mac replied. "My ribs, and my face hurt, but other than that, I've been okay."

Dr. Jameson nodded, gently probing her ribcage. He listened to her heart and lungs, before looking at her. "I'll let you go home, as long as there will be someone there to take care of you for the next day or two," he told her. "You're going to be off work for at least a week; I'll make sure that you get the paperwork you need to cover that."

Mac nodded. "How soon before I can get back to normal activities?" she asked, glancing at Harm.

The doctor smiled at her. "For the next 48 hours, you are to rest; after that, I'll leave it up to your discretion. You know your body better than anyone else, so you'll know what you can handle, and what you can't; just don't try to do too much, too soon," he warned. "I'll get your discharge papers ready and signed. It's almost lunch time, so after you eat, you can get dressed. Maybe by then we'll have things ready for you to leave."

"Thank you, Doctor," Harm said, standing to shake the man's hand.

"You're very welcome," he told him. "Take care now."

**14:03 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm followed Mac in through the kitchen, and up the stairs to their bedroom. "Do you want to take a bath?" he asked her. "It might help take some of the soreness away."

Mac sighed. "That sounds heavenly."

Harm set her bag on the bed. "I'll go draw your bath, while you get ready," he told her, kissing her forehead.

Mac nodded, as she started to unbutton her blouse. She stripped off all of her clothes, and put on her peach-colored terry cloth robe, before grabbing clean underwear and a nightgown out of her dresser drawers. When she walked into the bathroom, the soft scent of lavender made her smile. "That smells wonderful," she said to Harm.

Harm returned her smile, pulling her gently into his arms. "I'm glad you approve," he said, holding her close.

When he didn't let go, and Mac suddenly felt him shaking, she pulled back just enough to look at his face. She was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Harm, what is it?" she asked, concerned.

Harm cupped her cheek with his palm, kissing her lips tenderly. "I just need to reassure myself that you're here, and that you're safe," he told her.

Mac wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding the wince of pain, and kissing him. "I'm really here, and I'm perfectly safe," she said, pulling back to look in his eyes. "Why don't you join me in the tub?"

Harm shook his head. "Mac… the doctor told you to rest for the next few days."

"And I plan to," she told him. "I just want you to hold me. Come on, a nice, relaxing bath will do us both some good."

Harm relented. "Okay; you get in, while I go get some clean clothes."

Mac released him, nodding. She removed her robe, hanging it on the hook near the bath, and climbed into the tub, sinking slowly into the warm water, and sighing. She moved forward to make room for Harm when he came back into the bathroom, and once he was settled, she flipped on the Jacuzzi jets, leaning into his strong embrace.

They sat and just relaxed, and talked, for nearly an hour. The water was starting to get cold, so they got out of the tub and dressed, before climbing into their bed to rest for awhile.

Harm pulled her into his arms gently, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Sarah," he said softly.

Mac smiled, snuggling closer; he rarely called her by her given name, and that was okay with her, but she loved the tender way he said it whenever he did use it. "I love you, too, Harm," she said. Feeling loved, and safe, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks again, as always, for the great feedback! It keeps me motivated. I've seen so many incomplete stories on this site, and they all have one thing in common: lack of response. So, I really appreciate it when you comment! Enjoy…

**18:36 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm startled awake at the touch to his shoulder, looking around to see who had woken him. Seeing Harmony standing beside the bed, he swiped at his face with the hand that wasn't pinned beneath Mac. "Hey, Harmony… what's up?"

Harmony smiled softly at him. "Dinner is ready. You two have been asleep since I got home about two hours ago, so I figured I should wake you up to at least eat," she said softly.

Harm nodded, smiling at her. "Thanks; why don't we let Mac rest, and I'll bring her up something a little later?"

"Okay," Harmony replied. "I'll go downstairs and let you get up." She turned and left the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her.

Harm carefully untangled himself from Mac, slipping out of bed and pulling on a pair of sweats, and a t-shirt. Walking barefoot down the stairs, he smiled as he smelled the food. When he got to the kitchen, Harmony was setting two plates in front of the chairs at the island.

"Water, juice, or soda?" she asked, looking in the refrigerator.

"Water's fine," he told her, taking his place at the island. "Thanks," he said, as she handed him a bottle of water.

Harmony sat beside him. "You're welcome," she said. "How is Mac doing?" she asked, taking a bite of her shrimp fettuccine.

Harm swallowed his bite, before answering her. "This is really delicious," he said, smiling. "Physically, she's bruised and sore, but otherwise okay; emotionally is another story," he told her. "She may be telling everyone that she's fine, but I know her… she's _not_ fine. She's feeling scared, and vulnerable, and for Mac, that's worse than any physical beating he could have given her."

"Is there anything I can do for her?" Harmony asked.

Harm looked at her, smiling softly. "I don't think so, but thank you for asking. How did your appointments go today?" he asked.

Harmony sighed. "Dr. Cavilon wants to deliver Miranda now, and start chemotherapy; Dr. Martindale said that now that I'm at 29 weeks, Miranda has a fighting chance if we deliver now, but it's still not the best of odds. Ultimately, it's up to me, so I've decided to wait to deliver. The cancer still hasn't spread to my uterus, and Miranda is healthy. The best Dr. Cavilon can hope for is to prolong my life a little bit, but I'll be miserable the whole time because of the chemo… The pain meds I'm on aren't hurting her, so I'm sticking it out. My goal is 34 weeks," she told him. "That's only six weeks early, so she has much better odds than she does now."

Harm sighed, stirring the noodles around on his plate a minute, before looking up at her. "You know I love you, right?" he asked.

Harmony smiled at him. "Yeah; I know," she said softly. "Really, Uncle Harm, this is best for Miranda. I know that she'll be in good hands with you and Mac." She paused a moment before looking at him again. "Can I ask you something? About Mac?"

Harm nodded slowly. "I can't promise that I can give you an answer, but I will if I can."

Harmony nodded. "Well, I was behind the Roberts' on my way out of Dr. Martindale's office… they didn't know I was there, and I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but it was kinda hard not to hear them… anyway, Harriet was saying that you and Mac being able to adopt Miranda is a blessing, considering Mac's condition, and she wants to give Mac a baby shower, but she doesn't want to upset me. First off, what 'condition' was she referring to?"

Harm took a breath. "Mac has endometriosis," he told her. "It makes it difficult to conceive a baby, and even harder to carry a baby to term. I'm actually surprised that she confided in Harriet about that; she doesn't usually want to talk about it."

Harmony sighed. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to another woman about things like that," she told him. "I'm really glad that I can give you two a family," she said, taking his hand and smiling at him. "The situation sucks, but at least I know the two of you will love her and take care of her as if she were your own."

Harm squeezed her hand, lifting it to kiss her knuckles. "We will; I promise you that."

Harmony nodded. "As far as a baby shower goes, I think it is a wonderful idea. Please tell Harriet that she won't be upsetting, or offending me, if she throws a baby shower for Mac. In fact, I expect to be invited," she said, smiling again.

"Come here," Harm said, holding his arms open. When Harmony obliged, he kissed the top of her head. "You are a very special young woman, do you know that?"

Harmony shrugged, nodding. "Our dinner's getting cold," she said, suddenly uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. She pulled away from him and resumed her seat, picking up her fork and pointing it at his plate. "Eat."

Harm smiled and saluted. "Yes, ma'am."

**15:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Wednesday**

Mac looked up from her book, as Harmony came out to the rose garden. Harm had built a covered swing near the fountain, and Mac liked to come and sit out here during the afternoons to relax. "Hey, Harmony… everything okay?" she asked, as she sat up and made room for the girl to sit next to her.

Harmony nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Did the painters come yet?"

Mac looked over towards the driveway, nodding towards the van parked there. "Yep. They said they'll be finished by 17:00."

Harmony again nodded, then turned her gaze towards the fountain. "Mac? Harm told me about… your endometriosis," she said softly. "I read up on it, on the internet; does it cause you a lot of pain?"

Mac sighed. "Not really; at least, not anymore. I had surgery for it when it was first diagnosed, and that helped a lot. Sometimes, during my period, it really hurts a lot, but most of the time it isn't too bad."

Harmony nodded, looking up at Mac. "You know, I'm not sorry this has to happen to me," she said.

Mac looked shocked. "Harmony, how can you say that?"

Harmony smiled softly. "Well… I guess I am, a little. I mean, I hate that Donny had to die, and I hate that I won't be around for Miranda, but I'm happy that I'm able to help you and Uncle Harm to have a family. I hope someday you guys can have a baby of your own, but if you can't, you'll still have Miranda. I'm not sorry for that."

Mac reached over and took Harmony's hand in hers. "Oh, sweetie," she said softly. "I don't know what to say…"

Harmony shrugged and smiled. "Don't say anything." She noticed a hummingbird near one of the rose bushes and nodded in that direction. They watched the bird in silence for a few moments, before Harmony spoke again. "How did your doctor's visits go today?"

"My CT Scan on my brain came out clear, and my cracked ribs are healing well," Mac told her. "I'm cleared to go back to work on Monday. Dr. Martindale was also very pleased with the progress I'm making with the hormone shots."

Harmony smiled. "It's amazing that they've figured out how to do that, isn't it? So that even adoptive mothers can nurse their babies. That is so cool."

Mac smiled. "Yes, it is. Would you like me to go with you to your doctor appointments on Friday?"

"That'd be great," Harmony said. "Harm has to work. I already asked him, but I'd like it if you came with me. Maybe we can have lunch somewhere first."

"I'd like that," Mac said, looking at the cordless phone she'd brought out with her, as it rang. Picking it up, she looked at the Caller ID before answering. "Hello? Oh, hi, Harriet, how are you?"

Harmony listened to Mac's side of the conversation, smiling as she heard that Harriet had, indeed, planned a baby shower for Mac. She was glad that Harm had talked to the Roberts' for her.

Mac finished her conversation and looked at Harmony. "Harriet has planned a baby shower for me," she told her. "She said that you told Harm to tell her that it was okay with you?"

Harmony nodded. "Mac, _you_ are going to be Miranda's mommy when I'm gone. I've accepted that, and I'm happy about it. I want you to get to experience all of the things that new moms get to experience; things like breastfeeding, and baby showers, and I don't want you to feel guilty about it, or worry about hurting my feelings. Promise me?"

Mac leaned over and hugged Harmony, tears stinging her eyes. "I promise," she whispered. "Thank you, so much."

Harmony pulled away and smiled at Mac. "You're welcome." She looked towards the house, sighing. "I'm going to lie down for awhile before dinner. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Mac nodded. "Okay." She watched as Harmony walked back towards her mini-apartment at the back of the house. As soon as Harmony was inside, she broke down and cried.

**16:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Sunday**

Harm had never seen so much pink in his life. He stood at the side door, staring out towards the rose garden, where tables and chairs had been set up on the grass, at all of the pink decorations. Streamers, balloons, tablecloths… everything was pink. Even most of the wrapping paper on the gifts, which were stacked on or around one of the tables, was pink. "Amazing," he said softly.

Bud looked at his friend. "I'd steer clear of it, Harm," he said. "Women get awfully strange at baby showers."

Sturgis motioned with the beer in his hands. "That, my friend, is enemy territory. You're safer in here with us, watching the game," he said, jerking his head towards the house.

Admiral Chegwidden winced as the sound of female laughter floated towards them. "I, for one, agree with you, Sturgis," he said, turning towards the door. "Baseball is much safer."

They'd just settled on the sofa, when little AJ and Jimmy came into the room, their faces covered with varying colored lip prints. "Can we hide in here, Dad?" AJ asked. "Those girls just want to kiss us, and tell us how sweet and cute we are! It's _so_ gross!"

The guys all laughed at that, as Harm got up and went to get them each a bottle of sugar-free soda. "You two can watch the baseball game with us," he told them. "We'll protect you."

AJ accepted his soda, thanking his 'Uncle', and took a seat on one of the chairs. "Sweet! Who's playing?"

Admiral Chegwidden passed him the bowl of nuts. "Who cares, as long as it keeps us out of enemy territory?"

Little AJ looked seriously at the man he was named for. "No kidding!"

"So, we know you have a first name picked out, but have you decided on a middle name?" Jen asked Mac and Harmony.

"No, we haven't," Mac replied. "We really haven't even discussed it yet." She looked to Harmony. "Do you have something in mind?"

Harmony shook her head. "Nope. I gave you the first name, you and Uncle Harm have to find the middle name all on your own," she said, grinning.

"What's your middle name?" Jen asked Harmony.

"Lucille," she said, shuddering. "Don't even _think_ about saddling her with that," she said, looking at Mac seriously. "Too old fashioned."

"What about Miranda Harmony?" Mac asked her. "Then she's named after you, Harm, and his dad."

Harmony shook her head again. "It's okay, but I'd rather you didn't. Even though it's an old family name, I don't think she should have to carry that. What was your mom's name?" she asked Mac.

Mac's smile faded. "I really don't want to name her after my mother," she said softly.

Harmony could tell by the look on Mac's face that there was a story behind that statement, but she decided to let it go. "What about your middle name? Amira is beautiful," Harmony said.

Smiling again, Mac shrugged. "It was my grandmother's name. I guess it could go on the 'maybe' list. Any other ideas?" she asked, looking at Harriet, who held out a pen and paper. "What's this?"

"It's a baby shower game," Harriet said. "I figured with all of this talk of names, we could play this game. Everyone is going to write Mac's name on the top of the paper… Sarah Amira, not Mac, and then you'll have two minutes to come up with as many girl names as you can, by using only the letters in Mac's name."

All the women dutifully wrote Mac's given name at the top of their papers, and waited for Harriet's signal to start.

After the game was finished, and Harmony was determined the winner for finding the most names, all of the papers were handed to Mac, so that she could peruse them for ideas. Then it was time to open gifts.

**19:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Three hours later, after all the gifts were opened, the food and cake had been eaten, all of the guests had left.

Harm, Bud, and Admiral Chegwidden were helping Mac, Harriet and Harmony to clean things up, and carry the gifts up to the room that had been officially designated as 'the nursery'.

When everything was cleaned up, and put away, Harm shook hands with Bud and Admiral Chegwidden, thanking them for all of their help, while Mac hugged Harriet.

"Thank you so much, Harriet," Mac said, leaning down to kiss the twins on the head, as they slept in their double stroller.

"It was my pleasure, Mac," Harriet said, as she picked up a heavily yawning Jimmy. "We'll see you all later," she said, as Bud pushed the stroller to the car, putting the sleeping twins into their car seats.

Harm, Mac, and Harmony watched as they all pulled out of the driveway, waving once more before going inside.

"I'm beat, so I'm going to head to my room," Harmony told them. "Good night."

"Night Harmony," Mac said, smiling.

"Good night, kiddo," Harm said, watching as she made her way through the kitchen door towards her room.

"I'm a bit tired, too," Mac said. "I have to be back at work tomorrow, so I'm going to go take a bath and get ready for bed."

Harm nodded. "I just have a few things to do down here first," he told her. "I'll be up soon."

Mac kissed him, giving him a seductive smile. "I'll be waiting."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: As always, your feedback keeps me going, and it is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! And, as always, I've never been to the places I write about, I just look them up… Google Earth is a great tool! Enjoy…

**16:00 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**Friday- 3 weeks later**

"Sentencing will commence on Monday, the Members are dismissed; court is adjourned," Mac said, banging the gavel and rising. She was infinitely glad that this trial was over.

Two weeks prior, the Admiral had told her that she'd be sitting on the bench, presiding over the trial of Gunnery Sergeant Paul Wilson, who was accused of smuggling heroine into the country after returning from a deployment in Iraq.

Bud had been the prosecuting attorney, and Sturgis had been defending. Bud had built his case carefully, and factually, and though Sturgis gave it his best, the Members had found the Gunnery Sergeant guilty.

Sighing, she removed her robe, sitting down to do some quick paperwork, before it was time to go home for the night. A knock on her door made her look up from her paperwork. "Come in," she called.

Admiral Chegwidden entered, and Mac automatically stood at attention. "As you were, Colonel," he said, smiling at her and taking the seat in front of her desk. "Well, how did you like sitting on the bench?" he asked her.

Mac tilted her head slightly. "It was… challenging, sir," she said. "But I enjoyed it."

The Admiral nodded. "Mac, have you thought about what will happen when Miranda arrives?"

Mac frowned, slightly puzzled. "I'm not sure I understand, sir," she told him honestly.

"Well, even though Harm is now under the CNO's command, he will still need to travel on occasion, sometimes out of the country… as you learned first hand a few weeks ago," he said. "And if you remain in your current position, it's guaranteed that you will have to travel, also sometimes out of the country. Have the two of you thought about what you will do when both of you have to travel at the same time? Who will care for Miranda? And, especially, who are you going to find that can do it on short notice?"

Mac looked completely taken off guard, because she was. "We… haven't discussed it," she said softly.

The Admiral nodded. "I thought as much," he said, his voice taking on a kind, fatherly tone. "Mac, there's a position open in the Judiciary branch; Admiral Forrester is retiring. I would like you to consider taking it. It will keep you at home more, and it's a hell of a step-up for your career," he told her. "I'll give you the weekend to consider it," he told her. "I've already talked to General Rimwall, and he knows that you're planning to take the full family leave available to you, and possibly some personal time as well, once Miranda arrives, but he wants you anyway. He's been damned impressed with your performance the few times you've sat on the bench."

Mac was stunned. "Sir, I… don't know what to say. I'm honored."

Admiral Chegwidden smiled at her. "Think about it, and let me know on Monday," he told her, rising, and then he left her office.

**17:09 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac was just about to secure for the day, when Jennifer Coates ran up to her. "Ma'am, this was placed in the wrong box," she said. "It's an urgent message from Harmony's doctor."

Mac paled, eyes wide, as she read the message. Grabbing the nearest phone, she dialed the number. "This is Colonel Mackenzie, calling for Dr. Martindale," she said. "She called while I was in court; I'm returning her call… she said it was urgent." After waiting for three minutes forty-six seconds, she was connected with the doctor.

"Mac, thank you for calling me back," Dr. Martindale said.

"Doctor, is Harmony all right?" Mac asked, glancing at Jen's worried face. She noticed that Admiral Chegwidden was leaving his office, and stopped when he heard what she'd said, moving to her.

"I'm afraid we had to hospitalize her today," Dr. Martindale told her. "The cancer has spread, and her kidneys are shutting down. Dr. Cavilon has ordered her to be put on dialysis, while we decide whether or not to deliver."

Mac inhaled deeply. "And Miranda?" she asked.

"She's fine… for the moment. It's not recommended, but it's not impossible, for a pregnant woman to be on dialysis. Harmony really wants to wait another two weeks, but we may not have a choice but to deliver her sooner," Dr. Martindale said.

"I understand," Mac said. "Have you called Harm?" she asked.

"I tried his office number, but they said he was in a meeting all day; which is probably why he didn't answer his cell phone, either," Dr. Martindale replied.

"Okay, I'll try to get a hold of him," Mac said. "What room is she in?" Mac wrote down the information, thanking Dr. Martindale, before hanging up the phone. She looked up at the two expectant faces. "Harmony's kidneys are failing. Dr. Cavilon, and Dr. Martindale, put her in the hospital, and they're going to start her on dialysis. They're trying to decide whether or not to deliver Miranda now," she told them. "I've got to call Harm… they couldn't reach him," she said, pulling out her cell phone.

Jen put her hand on Mac's. "I'll do it, ma'am," she said. "You head over to the hospital, and I'll track him down. Are you okay to drive?"

Mac looked up at her, slightly dazed, but nodded. "Yeah; I think so."

Admiral Chegwidden gently took Mac's arm. "Come on, Colonel, I'll drive you," he said, not trusting her to drive in her current state. He looked at Jennifer. "Give me a call when you reach Harm; let me know that he's on his way."

"Aye, sir," Jen said, moving towards her desk, as the Admiral led Mac out of the office.

**17:52 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda Maryland**

Harm rushed into the hospital, taking the stairs two at a time, until he'd reached the floor Harmony was on. When he came onto the floor, he found Mac and Admiral Chegwidden in the waiting area. "How is she?" he asked, only slightly breathless.

Mac went into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist. "Dr. Martindale and Dr. Cavilon are with her now," she told him. "They're making arrangements to start her on dialysis, and they're deciding whether or not to deliver now."

Harm hugged her to him, squeezing his eyes shut. "How is Miranda?" he asked softly.

"So far, she's fine. Her heart rate is good, and the ultrasound showed that she's still growing just the way she should be. The cancer still hasn't reached the uterus, so Harmony is arguing with them about delivering now."

"They should have known she would," Harm said, as he led Mac back to her chair and then took the seat beside her, holding her hand. "She's determined to get to at least thirty-four weeks, and she'll fight them to try and make it that far."

Mac sighed. "Don't you have power of attorney?" she asked. "We may have to force the issue, if it becomes necessary."

Harm shook his head. "I really don't want to have to do that," he said. "She gave me power of attorney in case she isn't able to make her own decisions; not railroad her into doing something she doesn't want to do."

Mac squeezed his hand. "She just wants what's best for Miranda; she's not even thinking about herself."

Dr. Martindale came out, looking exhausted. "Harmony is being taken up to surgery," she told them.

"She agreed to let you deliver?" Harm asked, surprised.

Dr. Martindale shook her head. "No; that girl is the most stubborn person I've ever met. We have to put in a special catheter so we can start her on dialysis; we can do that without hurting Miranda. We've agreed to monitor both of them very closely, and just take it day to day. If Miranda starts showing any signs of distress, we're going to do a c-section immediately."

"How did Harmony take that?" Mac asked.

"She's agreed… reluctantly. She is still insisting that we at least try to make it to her thirty-four week mark, but we told her we can't make any promises. If we wait too long, we could lose them both," Dr. Martindale said. "The surgery should take about an hour, then another hour or so for recovery. I'd say you'll be allowed to see her in about three hours. Why don't you go and get something to eat? It's better than sitting here, just waiting," she told them.

Harm nodded, shaking Dr. Martindale's hand. "We might do that. Call us on our cell phones, if there's any change at all, please?"

"I will," she said, shaking Mac's hand as well.

Harm looked at the Admiral. "Would you care to join us? We'll find something nearby."

Admiral Chegwidden smiled at him. "Actually, I think I'm going to head home for now," he said. "I believe your wife has something she needs to discuss with you." Giving Mac a significant look, he nodded and said goodnight, leaving the two of them alone.

"What did he mean by that?" Harm asked Mac.

"Can we wait until we get to the restaurant? I had an early lunch, and I'm really hungry. I promise, I'll tell you all about it, after we get there," she said.

Harm smiled at her and nodded. "Okay. What sounds good to you?"

**19:21 EST**

**Steamers Seafood House Inc.**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm and Mac sat at their table, waiting for their meals, when Harm looked at her. "Okay, what is it that you need to discuss with me?" he asked.

Mac took a breath. "Well, as you know, I've been sitting on the bench for the last couple of weeks," she began.

Harm nodded. "Did they get a verdict today?" he asked.

"Yeah; they did," she told him. "Anyway, Admiral Chegwidden came into my office after court was over, and asked me if we'd considered what we'll do after Miranda is born, and both of us end up having to be out of town, or worse, out of the country. He asked who we'd be able to find that could watch her on short notice."

Harm blinked. "I… hadn't even thought of that," he said, taken aback.

Mac nodded. "Exactly. Neither of us has," she said. "Which is what I told him. Well, he offered me a solution, of sorts."

Harm looked at her expectantly, eyebrows raised. "What kind of solution?"

Mac smiled at him. "A permanent seat on the bench."

Harm's eyes widened. "Mac, that's wonderful! What did you tell him?"

"Actually, he really didn't let me give him an answer," she said. "He told me to think about it this weekend, and give him an answer on Monday."

Harm took a sip of his water. "Well, what do you think about it? It's a great career move," he told her. "Definitely a step up."

"Yeah, it really is," she said softly. "In addition to being a step up, it would keep me at home more, and I wouldn't have to work late nearly as often."

Harm nodded slowly. "Those are definite pluses," he said.

"Admiral Chegwidden already told me that he talked to General Rimwall, and he's aware that I plan on taking at least twelve weeks off after Miranda is born, and he's okay with that," she told him.

"Another plus," Harm said, smiling at the waitress, and thanking her, as their food was placed in front of them.

As soon as the waitress was gone, Mac spoke again. "I wouldn't be doing investigations anymore."

"Is that a pro or a con?" Harm asked, taking a bite of his broiled salmon.

"A bit of both," Mac said, as she took a bite of her steak. "I'd also be a bit more in control of my schedule, and my availability," she said, her eyes taking on a faraway look.

Harm smiled at his wife. "So, are you going to wait until Monday to tell the Admiral you accept?" he asked.

Mac looked up at him, startled, but then she smiled. "Am I that obvious?"

Harm reached over and took her hand. "To me," he said.

"Are you okay with me taking the position?" she asked him.

"Absolutely. I want what's best for you, and for our family," he told her. "I love you, and I want you to be happy. If moving to Judiciary will make you happy, then by all means, take it."

Mac leaned closer to him, kissing him softly. "I love you," she said, before they turned back to their meals.

**21:43 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm tapped on Harmony's door, before he and Mac opened it and walked in. She smiled tiredly when she saw them.

"Hey, sweetie," Mac said, taking one of her hands and brushing the hair from her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Harmony said, sighing.

"Yeah, I imagine," she said. She looked up at the monitors, smiling at the fetal heart rate monitor. "Miranda's heartbeat is good and strong."

Harmony nodded again, smiling wanly. "She's a fighter."

Harm was holding her other hand, and he kissed her knuckles. "Just like her mom," he said, smiling at her.

Harmony looked at him, seriously. "Uncle Harm, promise me that you won't let them take her unless they absolutely have to… even if it means losing me."

Harm looked up at Mac, eyes pleading, before he looked back down at her. "Harmony…"

"Please? I already know I'm going to die. I've accepted that fact. But I want Miranda to have the best chance she possibly can; I don't want my death to be in vain. Promise me?"

Harm leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I promise," he told her, looking her in the eyes, and forcing back his tears.

Mac, too, kissed her forehead, letting go of her hand. "Get some sleep; we'll be back in the morning."

Harmony nodded, closing her eyes. "I love you guys," she said.

"We love you, too," Harm said, releasing her hand. "Sleep now."

They waited until she was asleep, before they headed towards home.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Again, I always want to thank you for your wonderful feedback! It is truly, gratefully appreciated! I'm not sure if there's a maternity ward at Bethesda, but for the sake of this story, there is. This story is, as many of you have pointed out, bittersweet. I believe in writing the sad, as well as the happy, because real life is a combination of both. Enjoy…

**08:30 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac quietly entered Harmony's room, sitting in the chair beside her bed. The steady sound of the dialysis machine the only noise in the room. Mac studied the machine, watching the blood pulsing through the lines. She didn't understand most of the numbers on the machine's readout, but she did recognize the blood pressure and heart rate.

The dialysis technician came in quietly, nodding to Mac.

"How is she doing?" Mac asked.

"Good. The doctors are starting her out dialyzing two and a half hours, every three days. We'll do some labs and see how she's doing, and go from there," he told her.

Mac nodded, as Harmony stirred.

"Mac?" Harmony asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm here," Mac said, taking her hand.

"Where's Uncle Harm?" she asked.

"He had an emergency meeting this morning, but he'll be here as soon as he's finished," Mac told her. "I brought the things you called and asked me to bring," she said, gently setting a small bag on the bed beside her.

Harmony smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Mac told her.

They chatted quietly for awhile, until it was time for Harmony to be taken off of the dialysis machine. Mac watched while the tech quietly and efficiently took her off of the machine, and then went about the task of cleaning things up. He was just leaving, pushing the machine in front of him, when Harm came into the room.

Harm glanced back behind him, as he came and stood by Harmony's bed. "What was that?" he asked.

"The dialysis machine," Harmony told him. "We just finished."

Harm nodded, taking her hand. "How are you feeling today?" he asked.

Harmony sighed. "Tired. But that's the norm nowadays, so I'm dealing."

Harm gave her a sympathetic smile. "That's my girl."

"How did your meeting go?" Mac asked him.

"Fine," he replied. "Some higher-ups needed some legal advice on a potential plan of action for a situation in Afghanistan," he told her. "Nothing I can really discuss."

Mac smiled. "Need to know."

Harm nodded. "Sorry."

"Hey, don't be, there'll be a lot of things I won't be able to talk to you about, now that I'll be on the bench. It comes with the territory," she assured him.

They looked at Harmony, and smiled when they saw that she was fast asleep.

**18:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac dried the last dish and put it into the cupboard, before hanging the towel on the rack, and turning to look at Harm, who was just hanging up the telephone. "How is she?"

Harm shrugged. "About as well as can be expected," he told her. "Dr. Martindale was in to check on her about an hour ago, and she said that Miranda is doing fine. She said to tell us that we need to decide on a pediatrician for Miranda, and call him or her to schedule an initial visit before she's born. I guess a lot of pediatricians are booked, so we may not be able to get our first, or even second, choice. She's going to email us both a copy of a list of pediatricians that specialize in dealing with preemies, since it's most likely Miranda will be one."

Mac nodded, moving to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "What did Dr. Cavilon have to say?"

"Nothing new," he said. "Just like they said, we're taking this one day at a time now."

Mac sighed, as they walked towards the sofa in the family room and sat down. "Did you want to go back to the hospital tonight?"

Harm shook his head. "No. Harmony said she's really tired, and just wants to sleep; that's why she booted us out of there this afternoon, in the first place."

Mac smiled and nodded, snuggling up to him and laying her head on his chest. "There's nothing we can do there, anyway. They'll call us if anything happens."

Harm sighed, nodding, and then rested his cheek on the top of her head. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm gently. "We were supposed to work on setting up the nursery today," he reminded her. "Do you feel like doing that still?"

Mac smiled. "Yeah, I do," she said softly. "I haven't been in there since after the baby shower, when we put all the gifts in there."

"Neither have I," he said. "Guess we've been too busy."

Mac nodded, standing and taking his hand. "We can set the cradle and changing table up in our room, too."

"I'd like that," Harm said, smiling. "Then we can get an idea of what we still need to buy."

Harm opened the door to the nursery, motioning Mac to precede him into the room, and then ran into her. "Mac? What--?" he stopped, when he saw what had caused her to freeze, eyes and mouth opened wide.

The nursery was beautiful. The painters had come and painted it a pastel yellow, but now a gorgeous mural of a grassy spring meadow, was painted on one wall. A large oak was painted in one corner, it's branches swaying in the wind.

Butterflies and hummingbirds flitted amongst roses, tulips, pansies and orchids painted around a small pond that held a couple of frogs lazily sunning on lily pads, and a fish was jumping out of the pond, causing small ripples in it.

Small rabbits, squirrels and fawns were playing in the green grass of the meadow, while blue jays, cardinals and robins flitted about the sky, or nested in the branches of the tree. A bright yellow sun shone high above the meadow, with white puffy clouds hanging lazily in the clear blue sky.

It was simply breathtaking.

There was a beautiful white rocker sitting near the window, covered with soft cushions. Near it was a white dresser, with butterfly handles on it.

A matching crib was against the wall by the door, and the name Miranda was painted in large beautiful calligraphy, with roses and ivy all throughout, above it.

Harm and Mac looked at each other in awe, both aware that neither had any idea about this. Harm's eyes were teary, as he shook his head. "I knew she was an artist, but this…" he said softly, shaking his head again.

"Harmony?" Mac asked.

Harm nodded, words failing him, as he swallowed.

Mac smiled, hugging him. "It's perfect."

**17:30 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Following Friday**

Mac took the elevator up to the floor Harmony's room was on. It had been a relatively quiet week, as she was helping the Admiral to redistribute her cases to other lawyers in the office, while she prepared to make the transition to the Judiciary branch.

Harm had been busy, between meetings with the CNO, the SecNav, and at the Pentagon. There was something going on in Afghanistan, but he couldn't talk to her about it. She only hoped that he wouldn't be called out of the country to deal with it.

They had gone to see Harmony last Sunday, both thanking her profusely for the beautiful job she had done on the nursery. Harmony had been embarrassed, but happy that they liked it so much.

Mac and Harm had also come to visit her every afternoon after work, sitting with her for a few hours every evening, before heading home for dinner.

They had set up the cradle and changing table in the nook in their bedroom, and Mac had stocked that changing table with what they had available, before they had made a list of things they thought they'd still need, using a book Harriet had given them as a guide.

Knocking lightly on the door, Mac entered Harmony's room to find Harm already sitting beside her. Smiling, she walked up and kissed her husband, before moving to the other side of the bed and taking Harmony's hand. "Hey, there."

"Hey," Harmony said. "How was your day?"

"Fine," Mac replied. "I think the transition to the Judicial branch is going to be easier than I thought it would be."

Harmony smiled at that. "That's good." She released Mac's hand, and handed her a small fuzzy photograph. "Here's today's ultrasound photo," she told her.

Mac smiled, looking at the picture. She was becoming adept at deciphering the fuzzy image, and she could easily pick out the eyes and nose, laughing suddenly. "She's sucking her thumb!"

Harm grinned. "Let's hope that's a habit she doesn't carry with her beyond the womb."

"Let's hope," Mac chuckled.

They sat with Harmony for about an hour, before they left to head home for dinner. They had opted to take Harm's SUV home tonight, and they would pick up Mac's car when they returned tomorrow.

On the drive home, Harm looked at Mac. "Dr. Martindale gave me some more syringes with the hormone for you," he told her.

Mac nodded, smiling. Dr. Martindale had told her after the initial three weeks of shots, that she needed to keep taking one shot a day until well after Miranda was born, and nursing on her own. "Harriet met me for lunch, and we went to a baby store to purchase a breast pump," she told him. "If Miranda is born too early, she won't be able to nurse on her own for awhile, so I'll have to express the milk for awhile."

Harm grinned.

"What?" Mac asked, noticing his expression.

"It just feels odd to be having this conversation," he said. "But somehow, if feels so very right."

Mac's eyes were sparkling, as she returned his grin. "It does, doesn't it?"

**14:16 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**Following Thursday**

Mac was listening intently as Sturgis Turner questioned a witness during an Article 32 hearing, when she saw Jennifer Coates come in the doors, eyes wide. She held a piece of paper up for Mac to see, and Mac nodded subtly, holding one finger up to indicate that Jen should wait.

Sergeant McElreath finished answering Turner's question, and Mac motioned for Jen to bring the paper to her. Scanning it quickly, she looked at everyone in the room. "Court is adjourned until tomorrow morning at 09:00," she said, rising and heading out of the courtroom quickly, leaving the rest of the occupants somewhat stunned.

Jen met her on the way to her new office, which was on the same floor as the courtrooms. "I called Captain Rabb, ma'am," Jen said, taking the black robe from Mac. "He was just down the road, so he's on his way to pick you up." She turned and hung the robe on the coat tree by the door, the minute they were in Mac's office.

"Thank you, Jen," Mac said, as she grabbed her purse and cover. "Has the Admiral been informed?" she asked, as they headed towards the elevators. "Yes, ma'am," Jen said. "He said he will contact General Rimwall and apprise him of the situation."

Mac nodded, as they stepped onto the elevator, her heart racing. The elevator stopped on the second floor, and Mac said thank you to Jen again, before the girl stepped off, and then she took the elevator to the ground floor. She had barely gotten out of the front doors, when she saw Harm's SUV pull up. Racing over to it, she jumped in, putting her seatbelt on as he made a turn and left the parking lot.

"Did you talk to Dr. Martindale yet?" Mac asked, glancing at Harm.

"Yeah, I just got off of the phone with her," he said, changing lanes. "She said that Harmony's blood pressure tanked, and Miranda's heart rate dropped, and they can't get either one stabilized. They told Harmony that if they don't deliver now, we'll lose Miranda, so she agreed. She said that they'll be in surgery by the time we get there, but we're to go to the desk at Maternity and tell them who we are, and they'll get us prepped to go to the NICU nursery as soon as possible."

"What about Dr. Neal?" Mac asked.

"She'll be at the delivery, so we'll see her at some point," Harm told her.

Mac nodded again, falling into silence to allow Harm to concentrate on the drive, and she silently prayed for both Harmony, and Miranda.

They arrived at Bethesda, going upstairs to the Maternity ward, and telling the nurse at the desk who they were.

"Oh, yes, Mr. and Mrs. Rabb," she said, smiling and standing. "Come with me, please."

They followed her down a long corridor, through a set of double doors, before hanging a left and going down another long corridor. She pushed a button, and a voice came over the intercom. "Yes?"

"The Rabb's are here," she told the person on the other side.

The door buzzed, and the nurse opened it, ushering them through. She showed them to a waiting area furnished with couches, chairs, tables and a television. A few vending machines lined one wall.

"Have a seat, and someone will be with you as soon as they can. It will depend on how long it takes for them to stabilize the baby, so please be patient," she told them.

They thanked her and watched as she left the way she had brought them.

Mac fell into a chair, sighing.

Harm sat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head when she laid it on his chest.

They sat that way for three hours, eight minutes and forty-nine seconds, by Mac's calculations, before Dr. Neal came out, pulling a mask off of her face and smiling.

They stood and held one another's hands, waiting for the doctor to speak.

"Congratulations, you are the new parents of a baby girl," she said.

"Harmony?" Harm asked, half afraid of the answer.

"Holding her own," Dr. Neal told them. "Dr. Martindale will come and find you, as soon as they stabilize her. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to your new little girl."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks, as always, for the generous, much appreciated feedback! Miranda is based on a friend's baby girl… she was the same size; SO tiny! She is now a happy, healthy, energetic toddler! Enjoy…

**18:21 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Dr. Neal had taken Harm and Mac into a small room, instructing them to put special gowns over their clothing, showing them where they would be stored next time they came, and then had them thoroughly wash their hands, before she led them to another door.

"This is the NICU nursery," she told them. "From here on out, you'll come to this door and push the button on the intercom; someone will ask you who you are, and you'll tell them your name." She used a key card, which allowed her to open the door. "Staff can let you in with a card, if they're with you," she informed them.

They entered a good-sized room with subdued lighting, and Dr. Neal looked at them again. "The lights are kept low, because preemies can't handle bright light. We also keep our voices low, so as not to disturb the infants, or other families," she told them in a soft tone. She led them to the furthest incubator from the door, and indicated a nurse. "This is Toni; she'll be Miranda's day nurse during the week," Dr. Neal told them.

"Hello," Toni said, nodding to them with a large smile. "I have something for you two, if you'll kindly hold out your right arms," she said, smiling. When they complied, she fitted each of them with a hospital bracelet. "This has all the pertinent information we need to identify you as Miranda's parents. _Do not take those off_. You cannot come into the NICU without them, nor will you be allowed to take Miranda home without them later," she said, her expression serious.

Harm and Mac looked at the thin plastic bands, and nodded to her. "Security measure?" Harm asked her.

Toni nodded. "We want to make sure these little ones are safe, and that we don't send you home with the wrong baby."

Dr. Neal motioned them over to the incubator, and looked at them. "I have to warn you, she's very small, and very frail looking, but she's tough. Miss Miranda gave us a good squall for a bit after she was born," she said, smiling. "That's a very good sign," she told them, turning serious again. "She weighed in at a whole two pounds, fifteen ounces, and she has a ventilator to help her breathe, since her lungs aren't quite ready to do the work completely on their own yet. She also has an IV, and a lot of tubes and wires to monitor her vital signs, and a heat lamp, to help keep her warm." She looked at Harm and Mac. "Well, are you ready to see her?"

Harm took Mac's hand, before they nodded to her, smiling. "Please," Mac said.

Dr. Neal lifted the blanket from the incubator, and watched the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Rabb. She smiled at the look of awe on their faces, as they stared at the tiny person lying inside the clear plastic bed.

Mac looked at Miranda, her eyes tearing up. She was simply the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, even if she was also the tiniest. She reached forward to touch the incubator, then hesitated, putting her hand back down.

Harm stood mesmerized by the tiny being lying inside the incubator, a huge smile on his face. He took in every inch of her miniscule form, amazed that God had entrusted her to him, and Mac.

Dr. Neal saw Mac lift her hand as if to touch the incubator, and then drop it. "It's okay, you can touch it," she told her. "In fact," she said, opening one of the doors on the side, "you can touch her… just very lightly. Her nerves are a little raw, so you have to be extremely gentle with her."

Mac moved her shaking hand through the door in the incubator and gingerly touched Miranda's cheek. "Hello, sweetheart," she whispered. "I'm your new mommy." She moved her hand away, and looked at Harm, who stood speechless. "Harm… you okay?"

Harm looked away from Miranda, to his wife, and nodded. "Yeah." He moved closer and put his hand inside, noting that his entire hand was larger than the baby girl he was now touching tenderly. He couldn't help marveling at how soft her skin was. "Hello Miranda," he said softly. "I'm your new daddy. You hang tough, okay?" He took his hand out, and watched as the doctor closed up the door.

"The first forty-eight hours are the most crucial," Dr. Neal told them. "If she makes it past that, you'll be allowed to bring visitors to see her. Only one visitor at a time, and at least one of you must accompany him or her at all times. No one under sixteen, and no one that has been even remotely ill in the past twenty-four hours. Any questions for me?"

"When are visiting hours?" Mac asked.

"Parents have unlimited access, but others can come between 09:00 and 12:00, or between 14:00 and 18:00," she told them.

"What kind of treatments is she receiving?" Harm asked. "And why are her eyes covered with gauze and taped?"

"The gauze is taped over her eyes to protect them. As I said, preemies are extremely sensitive to the light, and we don't want to damage the retina, or the optic nerves. We have her on the ventilator to help her breathe; right now she's on four, which is a medium setting. As she gets stronger, we'll lower that so that she's breathing more on her own," Dr. Neal replied. "We put a feeding tube in, but since Mrs. Rabb plans to nurse, we'll need to get some breast milk from her before we start actually giving her anything; we may have to supplement with a liquid protein, but we'll see. She has an IV, since we want to keep her hydrated, and that also allows us to administer medications without having to poke her all of the time. We'll be giving her a steroid to help mature her lungs, as well as an antibiotic to keep her from getting any infections," Dr. Neal told them, and then she looked at them. "Any more questions?"

"Should we start our family leave now?" Mac asked, uncertain. "How long will she be here?"

Dr. Neal shook her head. "I'd take whatever personal time you have available for a few days now, but save the family leave for when she goes home," she told them. "Trust me, you're going to need it. As for how long she'll be here… it depends. I'm expecting at least two to three weeks, minimum, but it could be longer. She's just at thirty-four weeks, which means she's six weeks early. It will all just depend on her progress; weight gain, lung function… that sort of thing."

Mac looked at Harm questioningly. When he shook his head, she smiled at Dr. Neal. "Thank you so much, for everything. I think you've answered all the questions we have for now." She reached out to shake the doctor's hand, and then watched as Harm did the same.

"You're very welcome," she told them. "I have other patients to attend to upstairs, so I'll be going now."

She turned and left, leaving Harm and Mac standing beside the incubator, staring in awe at the miracle before them.

**20:38 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac was sitting in the rocking chair beside the incubator, while Harm sat in a chair beside her. The were holding hands, neither of them speaking, as they just watched Miranda in amazement.

Dr. Martindale came in, smiling when she saw the pair. Moving to where they were, she nodded towards Miranda. "Well… what do you think?"

Harm smiled widely. "Indescribable," he said, before turning serious. "How is Harmony?" he asked her.

Dr. Martindale sighed. "She's resting. After we took Miranda, Dr. Cavilon took over the surgery. He removed her uterus, ovaries, both kidneys, appendix and spleen; with the exception of her uterus, they were all pretty much destroyed by the cancer. She'll go back on dialysis, but she has opted not to do any radiation or chemotherapy. She's out of recovery, and back in her room now, so once she's recovered a day or two from the surgery, we'll bring her down here in a wheelchair to see Miranda. Basically, she's living day to day," she told them. "She reached her goal of getting Miranda to thirty-six weeks; I don't think there's much else keeping her here, now."

Harm nodded, looking at Mac, who gave his hand a squeeze of support. "Can we go and see her?" he asked.

"Yes; she should be settled by now. You can go and see her whenever you're ready," she told him.

"Thank you, Dr. Martindale," Harm said, shaking hands with the doctor. He watched her leave, and then looked at Mac. "Almost ready?"

Mac nodded. "I wish there was a way for Harmony to see Miranda sooner," she said softly. "She's been through so much to get her here, I'd hate it if something happened and she didn't get to see her at all."

Toni, who had been checking Miranda's machines, smiled. "I have a solution," she told them. Moving to the desk across the room, she lifted a Polaroid camera. "We often take snapshots of the preemies to track their progress. I can take a few for you to take up to her, if you'd like."

Mac beamed at her. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, so much!"

Toni took a photo through the incubator, and then opened it up to take two more; one with the little beanie hat, and one without. She then closed up the incubator, and handed Mac the photos. "Here you are."

Mac watched as the photos developed, smiling. "Thank you, again."

Harm and Mac each said goodbye to Miranda, thanked Toni for everything, and promised to return tomorrow, before they left to go up to see Harmony, stopping in the small room they had come through to hang up the gowns that covered their clothing.

When they entered her room, Harmony looked up at them and smiled wanly. "How is Miranda?" she asked.

Mac handed her the photos. "Perfect," she told her. "Dr. Neal says she's strong, and that she's doing pretty well."

Harmony breathed a sigh of relief, as she looked at the photos. "She's very tiny, isn't she?"

Harm nodded. "My hand completely covers her whole body," he told her. "But she's just on the medium setting for the ventilator, so that is a good thing. It means her lungs have some function of their own."

Harmony smiled again, trying to hand the photos back to Mac. "Here you are."

Mac shook her head. "You hang on to them," she told her. "We'll take more tomorrow."

They sat with her for a few more minutes, before they could tell that Harmony was nearly falling asleep. Saying goodbye to her, they promised to visit again in the morning, and then quietly left for home.

**22:08 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac snuggled closer to Harm, as they lay in their bed. "I can hardly believe how perfect Miranda is, even though she's so small," she said quietly.

Harm kissed her forehead. "I know… I think I fell in love with her the moment I saw her," he said.

"I'm supposed to take the breast pump with me tomorrow, and meet with a lactation nurse," Mac told him. "Do you have to be in to work tomorrow?"

Harm shook his head. "I called awhile ago and told them that I won't be back in until Monday, at the earliest."

"So did I," Mac said, smiling. "I think we should see how Harmony and Miranda do for a few days, before we make any final decisions on how much time to take off," she told him.

"I think that's a good idea," he replied. "Oh… I called my mom, too. She's ecstatic, but wants to wait to come and visit until after Miranda comes home."

Mac nodded. "Good idea. We need to call Bud and Harriet tomorrow, and Admiral Chegwidden, too."

Harm squeezed her a bit tighter. "Sounds like we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow."

Mac nodded. "Yeah," she answered.

They lay there for awhile, Mac running her hand under Harm's t-shirt, kissing his cloth-covered chest softly.

"Mac?" Harm asked. "If you keep doing that, we won't be sleeping anytime soon," he told her, a smile on his face.

Mac rolled over and moved so that she was slightly on top of him. The light of the moon shining through their bedroom windows illuminated her features, and he could clearly see the seductive smile she had on her face, and the twinkle in her eyes. "Promise?"

Harm laughed. "Woman, you're going to be the death of me!" he exclaimed, pulling her to him for a deep, passionate kiss…


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Sorry this is a bit late… RL has been intruding the last couple of days. You're all so great about feedback; THANK YOU, so much! As I have pointed out, it really keeps me motivated to continue this story! Enjoy…

**08:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac came down the stairs, dressed and ready to go. She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse, scrolling through the stored numbers, and dialing one she hadn't used in nearly a year. "This is Sarah Ra- uh, Mackenzie," she said. "I'd like to make an appointment for today, if there's an opening available?"

She waited for the receptionist to look up the day's schedule, before telling her that, yes, there was a late morning appointment available. After scheduling the appointment, she hung up the phone, putting it into her purse. "Harm?" she called. "What's taking you so long?"

"Be right down, oh impatient one!" Harm yelled back. "Cool your jets!"

"Cool my- ?" Mac said to herself, raising her eyebrows. "Move it, Squid!" she called up in a commanding tone, picking up her purse, the nylon bag that contained the breast pump, and the camera bag, before walking out to the garage through the laundry room. She climbed into the SUV and closed the door, turning the key she'd taken from the key rack, and changing the radio station to something she preferred.

Harm looked out the garage door from the house after about fifteen minutes, a panicked expression on his face. "Mac? Do you know where my keys went?" he called to her.

Mac nodded, pointing to the ignition, grinning.

Harm shook his head, coming out of the house, and climbing into the driver's seat. "Don't _do_ that to me!" he exclaimed, starting the engine.

Mac chuckled softly, as they pulled out of the garage, heading towards Bethesda. "You sure took your time getting ready this morning," she commented. "Everything okay?"

Harm glanced at her, grinning. "I'm fine. _Someone_ kept me awake half the night, so I'm dragging a bit this morning."

"I didn't hear you complaining last night," she said, returning his grin.

"Oh, I'm not complaining; believe me," he said. "I'm just feeling the lack of sleep this morning, that's all." They drove for about ten minutes, talking occasionally, when he suddenly frowned. "Hey… did you change the radio station?"

**09:17 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm and Mac entered Harmony's room, smiling at her when they moved to the bed.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Mac asked her.

"Lighter," Harmony deadpanned.

Harm chuckled at her. "I'll bet," he said. "We came to see you, before we go down to see Miranda. Do you need anything?"

Harmony shook her head. "Not that I can think of," she replied. "Mac brought me the things I needed already, so I'm fine. I'll let you know if I need something later, though."

Harm smiled. "Sounds good. So did the doctor come in to see you this morning yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm not surprised. He has office visits this morning, and surgery this afternoon, so he said he'd probably be by this evening. Dr. Martindale said she'll come sometime before noon, but I only have to see her another day or so," she told them. "I was told that I might be able to go down to see Miranda tomorrow morning, or the next."

Mac smiled at her. "That's great, Harmony. Do you want to be alone when you see her, or do you want us to be with you?"

"I don't mind if you're there," she told her. "You guys are her parents now, so there's no reason for you not to be. I'll leave it up to you."

"Let us know if you change your mind," Mac told her. "We would completely understand if you want to be alone with her."

Harm kissed her knuckles. "Mac's absolutely right," he said. "It's your decision."

Harmony smiled at them. "Thanks, you two; I really appreciate that. I don't think I'll change my mind, but I'll let you know if I do."

They sat and talked with her for awhile, before Mac looked at Harm. "I have an appointment here that I need to go to this morning," she told him.

Harm looked surprised. "You didn't mention it."

"I just made it this morning, before we left the house," she said. "I should be back in about an hour, or so."

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, concerned.

Mac smiled at him. "No; that's okay. It's nothing serious, and it shouldn't take very long. I'll call you if I'm going to be longer than an hour, but it shouldn't take that long at all," she told him. "If you'd like, you can go down to see Miranda while I'm at my appointment, and I'll meet you there when I'm finished."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I can wait for you, if you want me to."

"I'm sure," Mac said, smiling. She leaned down and kissed him. "I'll see you in awhile." She turned to Harmony, kissing her forehead. "I'll come back and see you a bit later, as well. Get some rest." She left the two of them alone, as she headed for her appointment.

**10:00 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac looked up as the doctor called her name, and stood. "Hello," she said hesitantly.

Commander McCool looked at Mac and smiled. "Mac… it's been awhile. I have to say, I was surprised to see your name on my appointment list this morning. Is everything all right?" she asked, indicating that Mac should take a seat, as she sat in one of the chairs across from her.

Mac shrugged. "Yes, and no."

"That's a pretty cryptic answer," Commander McCool said, tilting her head. "Care to elaborate?"

"There have been a lot of changes in my life in the last couple of months," Mac replied. "Mostly good changes, but it's been a little overwhelming."

"Why don't you start at the beginning? How did these changes start?" McCool asked.

"Well, it all started a couple of months ago when Harm's cousin came to visit him," Mac began. "He and I were supposed to get together for dinner, to discuss a case that we were assigned to work on…"

For the next thirty minutes, Mac told her all about the things that had happened in her life, in less than three months time.

"My goodness," McCool replied. "It's no wonder you're feeling a bit overwhelmed. How do you feel about all of this?"

Mac sighed. "I have so many mixed emotions, sometimes I can't seem to sort them all out," she replied honestly. "I'm thrilled that Harm and I are finally together; I've loved him for so long, I was beginning to think it would never happen. I don't even have words to describe how I felt the first time I saw Miranda. I know I said before that I wanted to carry a baby, because I've never created anything in my life, but when I saw her… somehow that all seemed to fade away. I loved her the moment I saw her. It's like I can _feel_ she's mine, even though there's never been a physical connection between us," Mac said, looking to McCool for some sort of guidance.

Commander McCool smiled at Mac. "That's a good thing, isn't it? It's also perfectly normal. Many adoptive parents have felt what you're feeling; just because a child isn't yours by blood, doesn't mean you can't love that child as your own. You once told me that Harm told you that you have great maternal instincts… this is a good example of what he was referring to, Mac," she told her.

"Then why do I feel so guilty?" Mac asked softly, her eyes tearing up.

"Because of the circumstances," McCool told her. "You're feeling guilty that a young girl has to lose her life, to help you find some of the happiness you've been searching for your whole life. Am I right?"

Mac nodded. "It's just so unfair," she said, shaking her head. "I feel like something bad should happen to me, just because I'm so happy. Harmony doesn't deserve any of the bad things that are happening to her, anymore than I deserve the good things that are happening to me."

Commander McCool raised her eyebrows at this. "Why don't you think you deserve anything good to happen to you?"

"Because so few good things ever happen to me," Mac said softly. "First my childhood; my father's drinking and physically abusing my mother, and emotionally abusing me. Then my own drinking, which led to Eddie's death, and an early marriage to Chris, who was more than happy to use me every chance he got. Things got better when my uncle Matt came and helped me to sober up, and I joined the Marine Corps, but then I nearly blew it by having an affair with my CO. After that, I felt like I had to prove to everyone, especially myself, that I didn't _need _a man to make me happy, so I threw myself into my career. But I was miserable for so long, and I didn't even really realize it. Then there's been just the stuff since I've been at JAG; Dalton's death, Coster stalking, and nearly killing me, my aborted wedding to Mic, my ups and downs with Harm, and…" she paused, not even wanting to talk about Paraguay or Clayton Webb again. "I just feel like I'm not _supposed_ to ever be truly happy. Now that I am, I'm afraid that it's all going to cave in on me, and I'll be back to the status quo," she said.

"Mac, it's very normal for you to be feeling these things; first, because you've developed a relationship with Harmony, and you really care about her. It's hurting you to see her hurting, and to know that there's nothing you can do for her. That is one of the things that is going to make you a great mother," Commander McCool told her. "Second, because you grew up in an abusive, unstable environment. You were conditioned from a very young age to believe that you weren't worth anything, and that you didn't deserve to be happy. If you're going to break the cycle, you're going to have to believe in yourself, hard as it may be. You're going to have to believe that, while bad things may sometimes happen as a part of life, you _deserve_ to be happy. Don't let anyone, not even your own subconscious, tell you otherwise. It is perfectly okay for you to be happy with the good things happening in your life, and still be sad for Harmony, but don't feel guilty as a result. Guilt doesn't bring about anything productive; it will just destroy all of the good you've finally found. Love your new family, with all you've got, and just take life one day at a time," Commander McCool told her, and then smiled. "You'll have to bring your new little angel to see me, after she's stronger."

Mac looked thoughtful as Commander McCool was speaking to her. What she was saying made sense, but it was hard to put into practice. At her final words, Mac looked up and smiled. "I will," she promised. She looked at her watch and realized that her time was up, and she needed to go, if she was going to meet Harm, as promised. Standing, she looked to Commander McCool. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Anytime, Mac," she told her. "Come and see me again, if you need to discuss this some more."

Mac nodded, and then turned and left the office.

**11:08 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac suited up, and washed, before she pushed the intercom button for the NICU, telling the person answering who she was, and then entering the subdued environment, and showing her ID band to the nurse at the desk. She smiled when she saw Harm standing beside the incubator, his hand inside, talking softly to Miranda.

"He's been doing that for the last half hour," Toni said softly, coming up to Mac. "Miranda's breathing gets stronger when he talks to her."

Mac looked surprised. "It does?"

Toni nodded. "It's not uncommon. Did you bring the supplies we asked you to?"

"Um, yeah," Mac replied, holding up the small black nylon case she'd retrieved from the car. "Neila said that a lactation nurse would be coming to help me, later."

Toni smiled, nodding. "Probably a little after 13:00," she replied. "Go see your little one."

Mac smiled at that, moving to the incubator, and gently placing her hand on Harm's back. "How is she today?" she asked.

Harm looked at her and smiled. "Better," he beamed. "Toni said her vitals have stabilized more since last night." He removed his hand from inside the incubator, and motioned towards Miranda. "Why don't you talk to her for awhile?"

Mac set the bag she was carrying on the floor, and then gingerly put her hand into the incubator and lightly touched Miranda's tiny body. "Hello sweetheart," Mac murmured. She was unsure of what she should say. "You're doing great… just hang in there… before you know it, you'll be home in your own bed. It's a special bed you know; your grandpa Joe made it, and I think you're going to like it." She looked at Harm uncertainly, but was encouraged by his smile.

Toni watched the couple interacting with the newborn, and smiled. She could tell they were both nervous, but they were doing a great job, and she was glad to see that Miranda was doing better. She moved to where they were, motioning to Mac to continue what she was doing, when she moved to pull away. "I just wanted to tell you that what you're doing is perfect," she said softly. "If everything goes all right tonight, you'll be able to start bringing visitors tomorrow. We don't want to overdo it, but one or two a day will be all right," she told them. "You should think about who the first person you want to come with you will be."

Harm and Mac shared a look, and they both smiled. They knew exactly who the first person they wanted to bring to see Miranda would be.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: As I always say, THANK YOU for the wonderful, sweet feedback! It is really appreciated. _Warning: Tissue alert ahead!_ Enjoy…

**11:00 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Next Day**

Harm and Mac looked up from their place on the bench outside, when they saw the person they were waiting for approach. Standing, they took one another's hand and smiled.

"Harm, Mac," Admiral AJ Chegwidden said, nodding to them. "How are Harmony and Miranda?" he asked, concern evident in his features.

"They're both doing fine, sir," Harm said. "Thank you for coming."

"I have to admit, I'm a bit curious as to why you asked me here," he admitted.

"Sir," Mac began, "as you know, Harm's stepfather will be Miranda's grandfather on his side of the family, but my father, and my Uncle Matt are dead, so she doesn't have one on my side of the family. We've discussed it, and since you've been like a father to both of us, and since neither of us are in your chain of command anymore, we'd like you to act as Miranda's 'adoptive' grandfather. That is, if that's okay with you?"

AJ had been listening intently, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, he broke into a broad grin. "Why, I… I'd be honored to be Miranda's grandfather," he said, truly shocked by their request. "Thank you, both."

Harm and Mac looked at one another, smiling. "Well then, 'Grampa'," Mac said. "Why don't you come with us and meet your new granddaughter?"

AJ looked surprised, but then smiled again. "I'd be delighted," he said, following them towards the NICU.

They led him to the small room where they put the special covering over their clothes, and then washed their hands. Then Harm pushed the button on the intercom, informing the nurse on the other side who they were. When the door opened, Harm and Mac showed the nurse their ID bracelets, and then told them who AJ was, before leading him over to the incubator in the far corner.

"Admiral, this is Miranda," Harm said quietly, indicating the tiny infant. He reached into the incubator and gently stroked Miranda's tummy. "Miranda, sweetheart, this is your Grampa AJ," he said to the little girl.

Mac was smiling broadly at the look of awe on the older man's face, as he moved closer to the incubator and knelt so he could get a better look at Miranda.

"Hello little one," he said, his voice as soft as Harm's had been.

Mac placed a hand on Harm's back. "I have to go… well, you know," she said quietly, glancing at AJ.

Harm smiled and nodded, and then moved away, so that Mac could reach in and touch Miranda.

"Hey sweetie," she said softly. "I have to go and get you some food, but I'll be back soon. Daddy and Grampa AJ will stay here to keep you company while I'm gone… I love you."

She pulled away and then gave Harm a brief kiss. "I'll be back in a little while," she told him. Smiling at AJ, she walked back out of the NICU.

**13:36 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac sat in the rocking chair beside Miranda's incubator, watching as Toni used the syringe to push the yellowish colored breast milk through the tube that went to her stomach, while Harm walked AJ out. "How much are you giving her?" she asked Toni.

"Right now, she gets about thirty cc's every two hours," Toni told her. "We don't want to overdo it, and upset her tummy."

Mac nodded. "How long after she comes off of the ventilator before I'll be able to nurse her myself?"

Toni gave a tiny shake of her head. "It depends; Dr. Neal will let you know. I don't know if anyone has told you, but sometimes with preemies you have to work with them a bit. The key, once you actually start, is not to get frustrated. If the baby senses you're stressed and frustrated, she'll get frustrated, too… and then she won't be able to latch on. Sometimes it takes awhile for preemies to fully develop the sucking reflex."

Mac nodded in understanding. "How much weight does she need to gain before she can go home?"

"Well, she weighed in just under three pounds, so we'll expect her to gain at least a pound and a half to two pounds; possibly more. There are a few things we're looking for, before she can go home," Toni told her. "The most important is that she'll be able to breathe without the ventilator, but weight gain will also play a role. We'll also run some tests on her, to make sure there are no lasting side effects."

"Dr. Neal said that she could end up having respiratory problems, or developmental problems, as she gets older, as a result of being premature," Mac said. "How often does that happen?"

Toni smiled reassuringly at her. "I can't tell you that it never happens, but don't let it worry you. Each case is unique; you can't compare Miranda's progress with any other preemie, because they are all different. Just take it one day at a time."

Mac gave her a small smile, nodding. It seems a lot of people were telling her that these days. She looked over when the door opened, and smiled in surprise as she saw Harm pushing Harmony into the room in a wheelchair. She stood and went over to give her a hug. "I'm so glad you got to come down!" she said to her.

Harmony smiled at her. "Me, too," she replied. "Dr. Cavilon came in to see me early, so he gave clearance for me to come down."

Harm pushed her over to the incubator, getting her as close to Miranda as he could. "Here she is," he told her.

Harmony looked at Miranda, and smiled. "She's so tiny," she breathed. "How is she doing?" she asked, looking at Toni.

"Very well," Toni replied. "She's already begun to show improvement, and she's not even forty-eight hours old, yet. Dr. Neal is very impressed with her progress." She'd finished giving Miranda the breast milk, so she threw the syringe into the trash can and smiled at Harmony. "I'm Toni, by the way; I take care of Miranda during the day. Neila takes care of her at night, and when we're off, Maggie has dayshift and Tessa has nights," she told her.

"Thank you for taking care of her," Harmony said.

"My pleasure," Toni replied. "Would you like to touch her?"

"Can I?" Harmony asked.

"Of course," Toni said. "Harm and Mac often take turns touching, and talking to, her." She opened the little door on the side, and showed Harmony what to do, and then moved away to do her paperwork, wanting the family to have some privacy right now.

Harmony gingerly reached in and touched Miranda. "Hey baby girl," she said softly. "Remember me? I came to see you while I still can," she told her. "I don't know how much longer I'm going to be around, but I want you to know a couple of things before I'm gone. First off, your dad and I never wanted to leave you, but sometimes things don't go the way you want them to. God knows what He's doing, though, because He gave you a new mommy and daddy that are going to love you just as much as we do, and they're going to take very good care of you. I want you to be really good for them, okay?" she carefully touched her tiny head. "I made some DVD's for you, so you'll always have something to remember me and your dad by. There are some other things I left for you, too, that I want you to have. I just want you to know, I love you… more than anything in this whole world." She took Miranda's miniscule hand in hers, and rubbed it softly. "Just in case I don't get to see you again… I wanted to tell you goodbye," she said, and then looked at Harm with tears in her eyes. "Will you take me back upstairs now?" she asked. "I'm really tired."

**01:47 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

The ringing of the telephone startled Mac awake, and she quickly grabbed it from the night table. "Yes, hello?" she said, suddenly wide awake.

"Mrs. Rabb?" a woman's voice came over the phone. "This is Lindsay Aguirre from Bethesda… I think you and your husband should get here as soon as you possibly can."

"Is it Miranda?" Mac asked in fear.

"No, ma'am, it's Harmony," she told her. "She's taken a turn for the worse."

"We'll be there shortly," Mac told her. She hung up the phone and turned over, to see Harm looking at her with the same fear she felt. "Harmony," she said softly, rising. "We need to go."

Harm nodded, hurrying out of bed. Dressing as quickly as he could, he pulled on his shoes and rushed downstairs, where Mac was just grabbing her purse.

They hopped into the SUV, and made it to Bethesda in record time. Rushing up to the floor Harmony's room was on, they quietly entered.

A nurse was standing beside the bed, and she looked up at them when they came in, giving them a sad smile. "She may not make it through the night," she told them.

Harm and Mac nodded, each taking a seat beside her bed, and taking her hands.

"Harmony?" Mac called softly. "We're here," she told her. "Don't give up, sweetie… not yet. You still haven't gotten to hold your baby girl."

Harmony looked at Mac. It was obvious that she was very weak. "I… already… said… goodbye," she told her, in a voice barely above a whisper. Her breathing was shallow and labored.

Mac shook her head. "Please, hang on."

"Hurts…" Harmony said softly.

The nurse frowned, looking at Harm. "With all of the morphine she's on, she shouldn't be experiencing any pain."

Harmony shook her head. "Heart…" she clarified. "I… shouldn't have… gone to… see her…"

Mac looked shocked. "Harmony, how can you say that?"

A tear slipped from her eyes, as she looked at Harm, and then Mac. "Now I… don't want… to leave… her," she said. "I was… okay… before."

Tears began to fall from Mac's eyes, and she gave Harmony's hand a gentle squeeze. "Oh, sweetie," she said softly, at a loss for words.

Harmony closed her eyes, and after a few minutes, her breathing slowed. Harm looked at the nurse in alarm, but the nurse reassured him that she was still with them.

Mac moved to Harm's side, pulling him into her arms. "I feel so helpless," she said quietly. "How are you holding up?"

Harm shrugged. "As best I can," he replied, hugging her closer. After awhile, Mac went back to her chair on the other side of Harmony's bed, again taking her hand.

They sat keeping silent vigil for hours, eventually falling asleep with their heads on the bed beside her. Mac awoke, unsure of what had roused her, her internal clock telling her that it was 06:41. She froze at what she saw when she looked up, vaguely aware of Harm stirring as well.

"Mac… do you see?" Harm whispered, not sure that he was fully awake.

Mac glanced at him, nodding. "Yeah…" she said, just as softly.

At the end of Harmony's bed, three men stood, smiling at them, Harmony standing beside the youngest. She looked at them, and they could see that she looked healthy and strong, and happy. Joe Mackenzie looked at them one at a time, nodding to Harm and then giving Mac a small smile, Harmon Rabb, Sr. winked at Mac, before saluting his son, and Donald McMillan nodded to them both, as he took his wife's hand. Then they all turned away, and disappeared.

Harm looked at Mac, eyes wide, before they looked at Harmony's now still, pale form. Mac moved to Harm, and they held each other, tears streaming silently down their faces, as the nurse came in to turn off the machines.


	22. Chapter 22

**22:22 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm and Mac walked upstairs and shed their clothing, before falling into bed in exhaustion. After they'd made arrangements to have Harmony's body sent to the mortuary, and then had talked to the mortician about preliminary funeral arrangements, they'd gone down to the NICU to sit with Miranda for several hours. It had given them both some measure of comfort to be with her, as she was a physical link to Harmony.

After they'd finally left the NICU, they had gone out to get something to eat, though neither of them was particularly hungry. They had finally decided to head home, realizing that there wasn't much else they could do until morning.

Harm turned, pulling Mac to him, his lips seeking hers. He was tender at first, but gradually increased the pressure and intensity of the kiss. His hands skimmed roughly over her skin, and he suddenly pulled away from her.

"I can't, Mac," he said, his voice low and uneven. "I don't want to hurt you, and tonight, I'm afraid I will."

Mac pulled him back to her, holding him close. "It's okay, Harm, it's okay," she said softly.

Harm hugged her tenderly. "I'm so sorry," he told her.

Mac looked into his eyes. "Harm, I know you would never hurt me, and I know that you need this tonight… just like I do. I trust you; make love to me."

Harm groaned softly, looking into her eyes for any trace of doubt or fear. Finding none, he surrendered to the ache, and the need, inside him, as his mouth descended onto hers.

**17:37 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**2 Days Later**

Harm and Mac's home was full of people; their co-workers… their family, in all honesty, all here to pay their respects and support them through the death of Harmony. Her funeral had wrapped up nearly two hours before, and they'd come to the house for a small gathering afterwards.

Mac stood staring at the table full of food. Even though everyone who'd come had eaten something, there was still enough to last them a good week or two. She thought what a strange custom it was, that when someone you loved died, everyone around you fed you. She idly wondered when the custom had begun.

"Mac?" Harriet called softly, as she came up behind her. "Do you need anything?"

Mac glanced at her friend, giving her head a small shake. "No, thank you, Harriet," she said softly. Looking around, she finally realized that she hadn't seen Harm in a good half hour. "Do you know where my husband is?"

Harriet sighed sadly, nodding. "He went out to Harmony's apartment a little while ago."

Mac looked up, her head automatically turning in the direction of the small apartment off the garage. They hadn't been in there since Harmony's death, so it was no surprise to her that Harm had gone there seeking solace. "Thanks, Harriet," she replied. "Could you hold down the fort here for awhile?"

Harriet nodded. "No problem, Mac. Take your time."

Mac silently entered the small apartment, seeing Harm sitting on the floor in front at the foot of the bed, a stack of papers and photos beside him on his right. He was intently reading something, as she came and sat beside him on his left, and laying her head on his shoulder. "You okay?" she asked softly.

Harm shrugged slightly, handing her one of the drawings he held. "Not really," he sighed. "It'll just take some time."

Mac looked at the picture, marveling at the detail. It was a drawing of the ocean, done in colored pencil. "This is exquisite," she said.

Harm gave a shadowy smile. "She drew that from my parents' back yard… it's the view from there," he told her. He handed her the others he held, each one more beautiful than the next. The last one he gave her made her gasp, and tears filled her eyes.

"She… she did this? When?" Mac asked. It was a drawing of a scene from their wedding. Harm and Mac were standing in the Rose Garden, looking at one another with love and devotion in their eyes. Again, the detail was astounding, the colors vibrant… it almost looked like an actual photo.

"I don't know," Harm said softly. "She certainly had enough free time on her hands… there are dozens of these around here," he told her. He picked up a leather case, showing it to her. "These are DVD's she made for Miranda, and us. There are at least twenty of them in here, possibly more. Some are old family movies from both her family, and her husband's family; others are ones she recorded specifically. She said she got the idea from a movie."

Mac smiled, knowing which one he was referring to; it was one of her favorites, though it made her cry every time. She handed him back the drawings he'd given her, and he set them back in the stack beside him, before pulling her close to him.

"I miss her so much," he said, tears gathering in his eyes. "She gave us such an amazing gift in Miranda… but I miss her terribly."

Mac had again put her head on his shoulder. "I know; I feel the same way. But she's happy now… she's with Donny now, not to mention all the family that has gone before."

Harm kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, Mac, for just being here; I love you."

Mac nodded. "You're welcome; I love you, too."

**19:12 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

By the time they were ready to go back into the main house, almost all of their guests had gone. Harriet, Bud, and the Admiral still remained, and they had put all of the food away and cleaned up.

Mac looked around, amazed. "You didn't have to go to all of this trouble," she said. "Thank you, so much!" She went to each of them, giving them hugs. After she'd hugged Bud and the Admiral, they followed Harm out to the back yard, while she and Harriet went to the family room and sat down on the sofa.

"Are you going to go and see Miranda tonight?" Harriet asked.

Mac shook her head. "We went this morning, before the service. We'll go again in the morning, since neither of us have to be back at work until Monday."

"You're not taking your family leave now?" Harriet asked, surprised.

Mac shook her head. "We've used some of our vacation time, but after Harmony died, the Admiral convinced our CO's to grant us Compassionate Leave for the week. We'll be going back to work for about a week, to clear our schedules so we can bring Miranda home when they release her. Dr. Neal said that if she keeps progressing as well as she is now, she'll be going home after two weeks is up," Mac told her. "Then we'll be taking our Family Leave."

"Is Harm going to take the full twelve weeks?" she asked. "Bud wanted to with the twins, but our finances wouldn't allow it."

Mac shrugged. "I think we'll see how things go. We have some money in savings still, so we should be okay, but I don't know how long he'll actually take. Knowing Harm, he'll try to take the full leave available."

Harriet smiled. "He's really excited about being a daddy, isn't he?"

Mac laughed lightly. "Oh, yeah," she said. "He wants to go shopping for her in a couple of days, to buy her some presents before she comes home."

"Bud did that with all of our kids," Harriet told her, also laughing. "Especially with AJ."

Mac sighed. "It will be good for him, maybe it'll help him take his mind off of Harmony."

"It will help both of you," Harriet told her. "Focusing your energy on Miranda will go a long way in helping you to move on. You'll never completely forget, but at least you'll be able to live one day without the pain feeling as if it's going to suffocate you."

Mac took Harriet's hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Harriet."

"No problem, Mac." Harriet said, leaning forward to give her a hug. "If you ever need to talk, don't hesitate to call me."

**08:04 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm and Mac entered the NICU and smiled at Toni, who was just finishing up changing Miranda's diaper.

"How is our little angel this morning?" Harm asked. As he walked over and put his hand into the incubator, lightly touching his tiny girl.

"Doing very well, Daddy," Toni said, grinning, as she finished washing her hands. "We turned the ventilator down to two this morning, and she's not showing any signs of respiratory distress. If she keeps this up, she'll be off of the ventilator by the beginning of next week… _and_ she gained three ounces!"

Mac's smile was beaming, as she walked over to the incubator, waiting for Harm to move back before she stuck her hand inside. "Good job, Miranda!" she said softly. She looked at Toni. "Funny how three ounces makes such a difference when you're talking about preemies," she said, still smiling. She stepped away again, letting Harm resume his place, his soft murmurs on the peripherals of her awareness as she spoke to Toni.

"True," Toni said. "Did you bring more milk? We used up the last of it this morning, after her weigh in."

"It's in the bag," Mac said, nodding towards the nylon bag that housed the breast pump, and had a special section that was insulated, and had an ice pack, to keep the breast milk cold. "I'm due to go pump again in a few minutes, too."

Toni smiled at her, picking up the bag and pulling out the tiny bottles, examining them. "You're doing very well," she commented, placing the bottles into the small refrigerator near Miranda's incubator. "Once we get Miranda off of the ventilator, the next step is for you to start nursing her. The sooner we get her eating from Mommy, the better."

Mac chuckled at that. "That sounds so strange," she said. "Do you know the reason they have me scheduled to pump every two hours?" she asked Toni.

"Because one, we want your breast milk to mature. Normally, you'd be nursing, but since you can't yet, this gives you a head start," Toni told her. "Two, we need as much milk stored as possible, so that we can keep up with the demands of Miranda's feeding schedule; both now, and when she goes home. She'll need to be fed at least every two hours when she goes home, at least for the first few weeks or so. If you already have milk stored, it will make it easier for Harm to help you in the feedings, and it will help you when you eventually return to work."

"That makes sense," Mac said, picking up the bag.

"You know, Mac, you're perfectly welcome to sit in the rocker here and do that," Toni told her. "It's not a problem."

"For you, maybe," Mac said, blushing. "I shouldn't be gone too long."

Harm had been listening to the exchange, even as he continued to stroke Miranda's tummy and speak to her in soft tones, and he smiled. Mac was still uncomfortable with pumping breast milk around people, even him, so she would go and find a place where she could be alone. "Tell Mommy to hurry back," he said to Miranda, as he looked at his wife and winked. "Uncle Bud and Aunty Harriet are coming today."

Mac smiled and nodded, before she slipped out of the NICU nursery.

**09:42 EST**

**Bethesda Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac had just returned, when Harm announced that it was time for him to go and find Bud and Harriet. "I'll bring Bud in first, and then Harriet can come in after him," he told her. "We've known Bud longer, so it only seems fair that he gets to come see her first."

Mac smiled and nodded in agreement, as he slipped out. "Hello sweetheart," she murmured to Miranda, as she stuck her hand into the incubator. "I missed you," she told her. "You're going to like your Uncle Bud and your Aunty Harriet; they're lots of fun, and really nice. They have four kids, so you'll have lots of 'cousins' to play with."

Toni smiled at Mac's commentary. She'd been told all about the unique 'family' that Harm and Mac had, and she was happy to know that at least they had their surrogate family. Too many families that came through here didn't have anyone but each other to cling to during the most difficult time in their lives. Besides, just because you weren't blood related, didn't mean you couldn't love each other just as much.

Harm returned a few minutes later, Bud in tow. He waited for the nurse at the desk by the door to check his ID bracelet.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we have to follow procedure, even if we do know you on sight," she said with a small smile.

"It's okay, Linda," he replied. "I'm more than happy to cooperate." He introduced Bud, and then led him over to where Mac was standing by the incubator. "Bud, we'd like to introduce you to Miranda," Harm said, nodding towards the miniscule infant.

"Oh… wow…" Bud said softly. "She's so _tiny_!" he said with a huge grin. "Congratulations to you both; I'm so excited for you!"

Harm and Mac shared knowing smiles. "Thanks, Bud," they said at once.

"I thought our babies were all small," he said, unable to take his eyes off of Miranda. "She's got to be the tiniest thing I've ever seen. How is she doing?" he asked.

"She's making good progress," Harm told him. "They turned her ventilator down this morning, and she's breathing okay, and she gained three ounces since her last weigh-in a couple of days ago…" Harm smiled at Bud's confused look. "That's really good for a preemie," he explained.

Bud nodded.

"Would you like to touch her?" Mac asked.

Bud's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Oh, no, ma'am… er, Mac," he said. "I don't want to take any chances with her health."

Toni smiled approvingly, as she walked up to Bud. "Here," she said, holding a bottle of antibacterial gel up. "Use this, and then you can touch her without feeling guilty."

Bud thanked her, rubbing a good amount on his hands and allowing it to dry, before he tentatively followed Mac's example and stuck his hand into the incubator, gently rubbing his finger along her tiny legs and feet. "Hello Miranda," he said quietly. "I'm your Uncle Bud," he said, and then looked up at Harm and Mac, grinning. He stayed for a short while longer, before telling them that he'd better go out and let Harriet come in and have a turn, or he'd be sleeping on the sofa.

Harm chuckled at this. "Good idea," he said. "I'll escort you out, since I have to be with Harriet for her to come in, anyway."

"Goodbye, Mac," Bud said, accepting her hug. "Thank you for allowing me to come see your little girl," he said.

"Thank you for coming," Mac said. "I'll see you, later." She watched as Harm led him out of the NICU, smiling.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Hello!! Sorry for the delays in posting… RL has been a bear the last few days! Hoping to make some more progress here in the next few days. As always, THANK YOU for your gracious, wonderful feedback! I cannot tell you how much it keeps me motivated to keep writing! The movie referred to in the previous chapter was 'My Life' with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman, for those of you who were curious! Now, enjoy…

**10:36 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac looked up and smiled when Harm escorted Harriet into the NICU. When they got closer to Miranda's incubator, she moved to Harriet and gave her a big hug.

"Harriet! I'm so glad you and Bud could make it," she said, smiling at her friend. She motioned to the incubator. "This is Miranda," she told her.

Harriet looked at Miranda, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide. "Oh, Mac… Harm… she's simply beautiful!" she exclaimed softly. "Have you gotten to hold her yet?"

"Not yet," Harm replied. "We have to wait until she's off of the ventilator, but we can touch her. Would you like to?" he asked.

Harriet looked surprised. "I'd love to," she said. "Should I wash my hands again or something? With four little ones of my own, I don't want to expose her to anything."

Toni smiled, again holding out the bottle of antibacterial gel. "Here you are," she said.

Harriet returned the smile. "Thank you," she said, using a liberal amount and waiting for it to dry. "What do I do?" she asked Mac.

Mac showed her. "You can touch her, just very gently. Her nerves are a little sensitive, so we don't want to over-stimulate her, but she seems to like being touched and talked to… her heart rate and breathing get stronger," she explained, and then moved back slightly. "Miranda," she said softly. "This is your Aunty Harriet."

Harriet beamed at Mac, as she stuck her hand into the plastic cubicle and carefully stroked the tiny infant's cheek. "Hello, pumpkin," she said softly. "You hurry up and get stronger, so you can go home. You've got four 'cousins' that are really excited about meeting you… and I know your grandma and grandpa Burnett want to see you. Not to mention the fact that your mommy and daddy can hardly wait for you to get home; they're going to love you, and take really good care of you," Harriet cooed to Miranda.

Mac's eyes met Harm's as they shared a smile, while listening to Harriet talk to Miranda. Mac moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. She looked up into his eyes again, and they shared a brief, loving kiss. When they parted, they both blushed slightly at Harriet's grin.

"Don't be embarrassed," Harriet said to them. "The best gift you could ever give this little girl, is for her to know how much the two of you love each other. All the rest will work itself out, if you remember that first and foremost."

Harriet stayed a bit longer, before leaving to go back out and meet Bud. "My parents are visiting, so they're watching the kids, while Bud and I go out to lunch this afternoon," she told them. "So I'm going to leave you alone with your sweet little angel."

Mac hugged her and said goodbye, before Harm escorted her back out. Then she told Toni that she had to go pump some more milk, and she'd be back again soon. Picking up the bag that held the breast pump, she walked out the door.

When Harm returned a few minutes later, after having said goodbye to Bud and Harriet, he pushed the button on the intercom to the NICU. Instead of Linda's disembodied voice like he usually received, she rushed out, the sound of an alarm blaring briefly in the background while the door was opened, and then closed again.

"Harm… I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait to go back in," she told him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes showing his growing panic.

"It's Miranda…" she said, shaking her head. "I don't know what's happening yet, but one of her alarms went off shortly after your wife left to go pump; you should go and find her. Come back and wait in the prep room, and I'll come and get you as soon as we know what's going on."

Harm wanted to argue, but knew it would be pointless. They wouldn't allow him back in until they thought it was necessary, and Mac would be furious with him if he didn't find her to fill her in. Nodding, he turned and headed down the hallway towards the room he knew was set aside for mother's who needed to pump breast milk.

**11:24 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Linda entered the small prep room, finding Harm and Mac sitting in silence side by side, clutching one another's hands in fear. She smiled at them, hoping to allay their fears. "Harm, Mac," she said, "you can come in now; Miranda's fine."

The relief in the air was palpable, as they stood and moved towards her.

"What happened?" Harm asked, even as he and Mac began washing their hands in the large sink.

Linda waited for them to wash, and dry, their hands, before she led them to the door that would take them into the NICU. "Miss Miranda woke up, and started fighting the ventilator," she told them with a wide smile.

As they entered the NICU nursery, Harm glanced at Mac. "Gauging from the look on your face, that's a good thing?"

"You bet it is," Toni said, beaming at them, as she waved them over. "We've been keeping her sedated, but after we had such a good response from her when we turned the ventilator down this morning, Dr. Neal had left orders to allow her to come out of the sedation on her own."

Harm and Mac stood looking in amazement at their tiny baby girl, who no longer had the ventilator tube down her throat, and was breathing on her own, a miniature nasal canula providing her oxygen.

"We have her on four liters of oxygen right now, to give her some assistance, but she's breathing all on her own now," Toni told them. "This is great progress!"

Harm and Mac both had tears in their eyes, as they looked at Miranda.

"Thank God," Harm breathed. "We were so scared…"

Toni gave them an apologetic look. "Sorry about that," she said. "We needed to get her stabilized as quickly as possible, and there was no time to explain."

They both nodded, as Mac stuck her hand into the incubator, running a finger along Miranda's cheek. "You gave us quite a scare there, baby girl," she murmured.

Miranda's tiny arm moved towards Mac, and Mac looked up in surprise, before looking back down at her and taking her miniscule hand in her own, lightly rubbing the tight little fist.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mac said softly. "Mommy's here."

Harm stuck his hand through the other hole in the incubator, taking Miranda's other hand in his much larger one. "Daddy's here, too, princess," he murmured to her. "You're going to be just fine."

Miranda's nose scrunched up, as her mouth opened, and she let out the softest of cries… like the diminutive bleat of a lamb.

Harm and Mac, each still holding onto one of her balled-up fists, looked at each other, their hands outside of the incubator clasping together firmly to complete the circle, and smiled joyfully.


	24. Chapter 24

**15:32 EST**

**Baby Depot**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac checked off another item from their list, as she eyed the growing pile of baby supplies in the shopping cart.

"What's next on the list?" Harm asked her, as he picked up a tiny pink dress and examined it before sticking it in the cart.

Mac suppressed a grin. So far, they had more items that weren't on their list, than they had items that they actually needed. Her husband was a big softy when it came to their new baby girl. "A baby swing," she replied, answering his question.

They made their way over to the swings, and began examining them.

"How do we decide which one to get?" Mac asked, surprised at their choices.

"Well, we should narrow them down to the colors and theme of the nursery first," Harm said. "That seems like the most logical step."

Mac nodded, as she looked at the swings that followed the theme they'd chosen for the nursery. It was entitled 'Enchanted Butterfly Meadow', and was a lively pattern with beautiful flowers and brightly colored butterflies. "This one is battery operated," she told Harm. "It has three speed settings, and plays ten different tunes."

Harm joined her as they checked out the floor model. "I like that it's open from the top," he said. "I won't be banging my head trying to get her in and out."

Mac smiled, nodding. "What about the one that winds up?" she asked him, examining that one as well. "We wouldn't have to be replacing batteries all of the time."

They examined that one as well, before they looked at each other.

"We'll buy rechargeable batteries," Harm said.

Mac chuckled. "I agree; battery-operated it is."

Harm found the right box beneath the displays, and placed one in the cart. He noticed another display and wandered over to it. "Hey, Mac? What are these for?" he asked.

Mac moved over to where he was, looking at the items he indicated, reading the descriptions. "Some are walkers, and some are saucers," she told him. "You put the baby in them, and if it's a walker, they can move around the house on their own. If it's a saucer, it doesn't move, but it has a lot of toys to entertain them. Miranda won't be anywhere near ready for one of these for at least six months," she told him.

"Okay," he said, "we'll come back when she's ready. So, what's left on the list?"

Mac checked off the baby swing, and then held the list up for him to see.

Harm looked at the cart, then at the list, and looked surprised. "How can the cart be almost full, when we still have so much to get?"

Mac couldn't help it; she finally broke into a fit of giggles.

**18:14 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm and Mac had unloaded the items they'd purchased from the SUV, and then had worked together to make dinner. They sat at the kitchen island eating, talking about the exciting progress Miranda had made, and their shopping excursion, and just savoring being together. It was so… normal… that it made Mac smile broadly.

"What?" Harm asked, noting her smile.

"This feels good," she said, blushing.

"What does?"

"Just… I don't know, this," she said, indicating the two of them. "Our being here, sharing a meal… talking about our baby daughter. It feels good."

Harm gave her that sexy smile of his that she felt all the way to her toes. "It does, doesn't it?" he said, looking at her intensely. He noticed that they'd both finished their meals, so he stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck. "How about we share a nice, hot bath?" he whispered.

"What about the dishes, Captain?" Mac asked smiling, tilting her head to give him better access.

"They're not going anywhere," he replied, as he unbuttoned her blouse, and slipped it off of her shoulders.

"I suppose they'll keep for a little while," Mac said, biting her top lip as he moved her hair and suckled at the sensitive spot at the base of her skull. "A bath does sound heavenly," she conceded.

Harm turned her to face him, kissing her deeply, and lifting her into his arms, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He continued the kiss as he carried her up the stairs into their bathroom, where he set her on her feet. He drew their bath, pouring in their favorite bubble bath, while she lit the scented candles and drew the blinds.

They undressed quickly, and slipped into the warm water. Once they had settled, Harm turned on the air jets, pulling Mac close to him. "Where were we?" he asked, as he tilted her head to the side and began to kiss the smooth column of her neck.

Mac sighed, sinking back against him, enjoying the feelings that being in his arms brought about. She turned so that they were face to face, pulling his lips to hers. After a toe-curling kiss that left them both breathless, she pulled away slightly and smiled at him. "Have I told you today how much I love you?" she whispered.

"Hmm…" he said, pretending to think about it. "Not nearly often enough," he whispered back, winking at her. "I love you, too, and now… I'm going to show you just how much."

**21:02 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac was upstairs putting the items they'd purchased away, while Harm was downstairs finishing up cleaning the kitchen, when the telephone rang. Glancing at the clock on the stove, he frowned slightly as he picked up the receiver. "Rabb," he answered.

"Hello, is this Captain Harmon Rabb?" a male voice asked.

"Yes it is; how can I help you?" he asked.

"My name is Jeremy Walton," he replied. "I am the executor of your cousin, Harmony McMillan's, estate. I was hoping that you and your wife would be available to meet with me in the next day or two?"

Harm looked surprised, as Mac came down the stairs, a questioning look on her face. "Um, yes, of course," he said. "I wasn't aware that Harmony had a will," he told the man. "I had power of attorney over her health care, and I assumed that whatever she owned, was here in the small apartment she lived in."

"Mrs. McMillan was concerned about how it would look if you or your wife handled it, considering that you are both the exclusive heirs," Mr. Walton told him.

Harm was really confused now. "I don't understand," he told Mr. Walton. "We handled the adoption before Harmony passed; I wasn't aware that there was any kind of estate to be represented."

"Sir, your cousin was married to Donald McMillan," Mr. Walton said, as if that explained everything.

"And…?" Harm asked, still not understanding where this was going.

"Of McMillan Industries?" Mr. Walton said again, realizing that Harm still wasn't understanding. "Mrs. McMillan inherited over thirty million dollars when her husband was killed in Iraq, sir," he told Harm. "There is no other family for it to go to… you and your wife, and of course your new daughter, are the sole heirs to the estate."

Harm's eyes widened, and he dropped heavily onto the barstool, his hands suddenly shaking. "We're… we're…" he couldn't find his voice.

"Filthy rich?" Mr. Walton supplied, the smile in his voice coming through. "Yes. Sir, I really need to meet with you and your wife as soon as possible," he told him. "It's very important that this is handled quickly."

Harm shook himself. "Yes, of course," he said. "We can meet you tomorrow?"

"Fine, fine; how is… oh, 10:00 a.m.?" Mr. Walton asked.

Harm grabbed the pen from the cup on the counter, and scribbled the information onto the pad sitting there. "Yes sir, that's fine. Thank you, sir," he said. "We'll see you then." He hung up the phone and turned to Mac, who had a puzzled frown on her face.

"What was that about Harmony having an estate?" she asked.

Harm looked at Mac, eyes wide. "You'd better sit down," he told her.

**10:00 EST**

**Walton, Williams and Berol**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm and Mac walked into the law offices of Walton, Williams and Berol, and Harm told the receptionist who they were. They were told to have a seat, and Mr. Walton would be with them in a moment.

Mr. Walton came out to greet them, a large, friendly smile on his face. "Captain and Mrs. Rabb? I'm Jeremy Walton," he said, shaking their hands. "It's very nice to meet you; Mrs. McMillan talked a lot about you." He escorted them into his office, closing the door after he indicated that they should take seats, and then sat behind the large oak desk.

"Thank you," Harm said. "This is all a bit of a shock to us; Harmony never mentioned it at all."

Mr. Walton smiled. "I gathered as much after our phone conversation last night. As I told you last night, Mrs. McMillan wanted me to handle the estate, since you are both military. She was concerned about questions being raised about the amount of money involved, and she wanted to be sure there was a legal, verifiable paper trail so that the two of you would not have to worry about any appearance of impropriety. She was very aware of how much your careers mean to you, and she wanted to make sure that they weren't affected by your inheriting her estate," he told them. "She was a very sweet, thoughtful young woman."

Harm nodded. "Yes, she was," he said, glancing at Mac. "Where do we go from here?"

Mr. Walton smiled. "Well, first I am going to officially read Mrs. McMillan's Last Will and Testament to you both. It will, of course, be recorded on camera," he said, indicating a video camera set up on a tripod facing the desk. "Are you ready?" he asked. At their nods, he pushed a button on a remote control, and began.

After he finished reading, he paused the video camera and then turned his attention back to them. "Mrs. McMillan had checks drawn out to send to your parents, and your grandmother, Mr. Rabb," he told Harm. "They should be receiving those today."

Harm nodded, relieved that Harmony had thought of the rest of the family. "You said that Donald was heir to McMillan Industries?" he asked. "I've never heard of them, and I'm afraid I wouldn't have a clue as to how to run it."

Mr. Walton smiled at him. "Fortunately, you won't have to. After his father passed away, Donald McMillan sold all of his family's interests in the company to his father's partner, and the other members of the board. After Donald passed, Harmony liquidated the rest of their assets, so we're dealing strictly with cash here," he told them. "Mrs. McMillan already took care of my fees, so less that amount, and the few stipulations she had, the rest is yours."

"The amount you read in the will?" Mac asked, still unable to wrap her brain around this whole situation.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Thirty one point five million dollars," he repeated. "Of course, as I mentioned, Mrs. McMillan did indicate that a trust fund for Miranda must be set up, as well as her wish that a certain amount be given to cancer research, but the rest is yours to do with as you see fit."

Harm's mouth was dry. "How does one go about… dealing with… that amount of money?" he asked. "I'm a decent bookkeeper, but that's too much even for me."

Mr. Walton chuckled. "Mrs. McMillan expected that, so she gave me a personal letter for you. She told me that it basically explains about her accountant, and recommends that you continue to use him, as well. She had a very good system for keeping him honest," he said, grinning. "She was not only friendly, sweet and generous, but smart as a whip," he told them, handing Harm the letter in question. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"What do we need to do?" Mac asked.

"Well, the paperwork is done, so really it will only take a couple of days for the funds to all be transferred to your names. I assume that you want this to be a joint account?" he asked.

Harm nodded. "Absolutely," he said.

"All right, then," Mr. Walton continued. "Mr. Arturo will contact you within the next forty-eight hours about setting up account information, and he'll explain to you everything you'll need to know. You should have full access to the money within the next couple of days. Mrs. McMillan was a brilliant business person, and she didn't want any delays, so she set everything up ahead of time. I wish all of my clients planned as well as she did," he told them. "Now, if you don't have any other questions for me, I have another appointment soon?"

Harm and Mac stood, still somewhat in shock. They thanked Mr. Walton for his time and help, and then shook his hand, before leaving the office.

Once they were down in the car, Harm opened the letter from Harmony and read it aloud.

"Harm and Mac: If you're reading this, it means that you've spoken with Jeremy. Surprise! If anyone deserves this, it's the two of you. You have both spent the better part of your lives serving your country, and you have both unquestioningly, and unselfishly, taken my child into your lives and hearts. I know you will love her as your own, and that she is in good hands.

Mac, I wanted you to be free to decide whether or not you want to continue to work, or be a full-time mommy. Money should never be an issue, and I'm glad I can make it possible for you to follow your heart.

Uncle Harm, you big softy; I love you. I know you hate surprises, but somehow I think you'll forgive me for this one. I've included the information for my accountant, Mr. Pablo Arturo, for you. He's a good man, and really knows his stuff. I figure even _you _can't handle this much money, so take advantage of his expertise. Take care of your mom and Frank, and take care of Grammy… don't let her lose the farm; she loves that old place. Use this money to make all of your (and Mac's) dreams come true, but don't lose yourselves. It's only money. As it says in the Bible 'what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?' I know that if anyone can keep a clear head, it's you. Be generous, be loving, and never forget where you came from. Love always, Harmony."

Harm finished reading, his throat clogging up with his tears. "The rest of the letter details info about Mr. Arturo," he told Mac.

Mac smiled through her own tears. "We need to take our time about making decisions with what to do with this money," she told him. "I don't want to move out of our house…" she said uncertainly. "Do you?"

Harm shook his head. "No! Of course not… but we could pay it off… remodel some… maybe redecorate?" he suggested.

"That sounds good," she said. "There are two things I'd really like to do, though," she told him, smiling softly.

"Yeah?" he asked. "What's that?"

Mac leaned forward and kissed him, and then pulled back a little and smiled, her eyes twinkling merrily.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: As I always try to remember: Thank you so much for the great feedback! I don't always get to reply one on one, but it truly is a great motivator, and greatly appreciated! One more chapter, and then you'll get to find out what Mac wants to do with at least some of the money… I had some other things to cover in this chapter, first. Enjoy…

**13:00 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm and Mac entered the NICU nursery, curious when they found Miranda's incubator curtained off. They moved over to where Toni was, and looked at her questioningly.

"Is everything okay?" Mac asked.

Toni smiled at them. "Everything's great," she said.

"Why the curtains then?" Harm asked curiously.

"Because we want you two to have some privacy for what we have planned for Miranda's treatment today," she said cryptically, motioning them behind the curtained-off area. Once they were there, she smiled at them. "Take your paper gowns, and your shirts, off," she instructed them both.

Harm and Mac both blanched at this.

"What?" Mac asked in surprise.

Toni chuckled softly. She always loved the shocked looks on the parents' faces when she said that for the first time. "You're going to get to hold your precious baby girl today, but only if you cooperate," she told them. "Now come on, shirts off!"

Harm and Mac removed the disposable gowns, handing them to Toni, and then each of them removed their shirts.

"Can I leave my bra on?" Mac asked uncertainly.

"Better not," Toni told her. "We're going to have the lactation nurse come and work with you to start Miranda nursing today, but for the moment, you're just gonna hold her. I doubt you've got anything either of us haven't seen before," she said, winking at Harm. "Who wants to go first?" she asked.

Harm smiled at Mac. "You first, Hon," he said.

Mac smiled gratefully at him. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," he told her.

"All right then, Mommy," Toni said. "Have a seat in the rocker, and we'll get this ball rolling." As soon as Mac was seated, Toni opened the top of the incubator and removed several wires. She left the oxygen on, and the feeding tube in, but she made sure they had plenty of slack, before she gently lifted the tiny bundle out.

"Okay, Mama, you're going to hold her like this," Toni told her, demonstrating. "One hand under her bottom, and the other over her back, supporting her head. Make sure her little body is flush with yours." Carefully, she handed Miranda to Mac, helping her to get her into the right position. Once she was sure Mac had it under control, she stepped back.

"There are a couple of different names for this hold," she told them. "But the most common is the 'Kangaroo Hold'… skin to skin contact. It does wonders for preemies," she said, looking at Harm. "Well, get your camera, Daddy," she said smiling, snapping him out of the trance he seemed to be in.

Harm grabbed the camera from under Miranda's incubator where they'd been leaving it, and waited for Mac to make sure her arms were sufficiently covering her breasts, before he snapped a picture.

Mac had followed Toni's direction, and was holding Miranda flush against her chest, in the valley between her breasts. When Toni stepped away, Mac sat perfectly still for a moment, just absorbing the feel of the soft, tiny body held securely to hers in awe. She gave Harm a panicked look when he grabbed the camera, adjusting her arms so that she could still hold Miranda, while covering her breasts as much as possible with her arms. Once the photo was taken Mac relaxed slightly, holding Miranda close, but still making sure her arms were adequately covering her.

Harm kneeled beside them, his larger hand partially covering hers as they covered Miranda protectively, and looked into Mac's eyes; the love that passed between them was nearly tangible.

Toni picked up their camera, smiling at the beautiful scene before her, and snapped another photo. She looked at the picture on the small LED screen, her eyes misting. 'This one is worth framing,' she thought.

**14:30 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm was sitting in the rocker, taking his turn at holding Miranda against him. Mac had pulled her blouse back on, having left her bra off, and buttoned only the two center buttons. She was sitting in the recliner that had been brought in, watching them with a soft, dreamy smile on her face.

Toni walked over and tenderly checked Miranda over, before smiling and leaving them alone again.

They had been sitting this way for about twenty minutes, when Miranda began to squirm.

Mac sat up and moved closer. "Is she okay?"

Harm looked down at her, her nose scrunched up and her mouth open. She let out her tiny cry once, and then began moving her head side to side quickly, as though shaking her head 'no'. "Toni?" he called softly, as Miranda let out another soft cry.

Toni came over to see what was going on, and smiled.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked her.

"Nothing's wrong," she told them. "She's 'rooting'… looking for food. I'll ring the lactation nurse; this is what we've been waiting for."

Harm suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. "Maybe you should hold her?" he said to Mac, as Miranda again made the tiny 'bleating' sound that they had come to recognize as her cry. "I don't want her to try to start nursing from me," he said.

Mac let out a soft chuckle, as she unbuttoned her shirt and carefully took Miranda from him. "Chicken," she said quietly, taking his place in the rocker after he'd moved.

Harm gave her a pointed look, and then smiled, before sitting down in the recliner. "Hey, it's not my fault men can't produce milk; you have to take that up with a Higher Authority."

Miranda's cries were becoming a bit stronger, as she began squirming more. It was all Mac could do to hold onto the tiny girl.

"Okay, sweetheart," Mac soothed. "It's okay… I'll feed you pretty soon."

Toni moved over to her, kneeling beside her. "She can smell your milk," she told her.

Mac looked surprised. "Really?"

As Toni nodded, the lactation nurse peeked around the curtains and stepped in. "Hello again, Mac," he said.

Harm's eyebrows shot into his hairline.

Mac gave him a tentative smile. "Hi, Jeff," she said.

Toni stood. "I'll leave you alone," she said, glancing at the look on Harm's face, and trying not to laugh.

Jeff looked at Harm. "You must be Captain Rabb," he said, holding his hand out. "I'm Jeff Shields, the lactation nurse."

Harm cautiously took the man's hand, shaking it firmly. "Harm," he answered.

Jeff gave him an apologetic smile. "I guess Mac didn't mention that I'm a 'he'?"

Harm looked at Mac, one eyebrow raised. "She may have failed to bring it up."

Mac gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry," she murmured.

Jeff looked at Mac, and then at Miranda, who was becoming more distressed. He moved to kneel beside the rocker. "We need to get her nursing, before she gets too upset to be able to," he told her. "I want you to cradle her in your arms, so that her head is near your breast; it doesn't matter which side you start with first."

Mac did as instructed. "Okay…"

"Now carefully turn her so that her body is facing yours… be sure to support her head and back," he said. As soon as Mac had done that, he nodded. "Okay, now try to stay relaxed; if Miranda senses that you're uncomfortable or stressed, she will be too. Grasp your breast with your nipple between your forefinger and middle finger… yeah, like that, and gently guide it towards Miranda's mouth."

Mac did as she was told, as Miranda was still 'rooting'. It took a few tries, but they finally got it right, and Miranda latched on. Mac smiled up at Harm.

Harm returned her smile, still unsure about a male lactation nurse helping his wife.

"Because she's so tiny, you need to use your forefinger to keep her nose clear," Jeff told her. "She needs to be able to breathe."

Mac did what he instructed.

"Now, you're going to feed her for about five minutes, to start, on this side, and then switch her over to the other side. Stick your finger into the corner of her mouth, to break the suction, before you try to move her," Jeff told her. "Let her nurse on that side as long as she likes; she'll let you know when she's finished, or she'll fall asleep. Next time you pump or nurse, whichever comes first, you'll start on the side you finished on. Each time, you'll start with the side you finished with the last time; just like I explained when you're using the breast pump. Any questions?"

"I can't think of any," Mac replied.

"Good," Jeff nodded. "Have Toni call me if you need anything, but I'm going to leave you to it." He smiled at Harm, and then said goodbye to Toni, before he left.

Once he was gone, Harm slipped over to kneel beside the rocking chair. At first, he was just quietly watching in reverent silence, as Mac nursed Miranda. The feelings of love and tenderness stirred within him felt as if they were going to explode out of him.

After Mac switched Miranda to the other breast, he looked at her. "Forget to mention something about your lactation nurse Marine?" he asked, a teasing smile on his face.

Mac returned the smile. "It does seem odd, doesn't it?" she acknowledged. "I'm sorry Harm, it wasn't my intention to deceive you. Jeff was nothing but professional, so I just didn't think about it. Besides, don't you trust me?"

"You I trust, him… I'm not so sure," he told her, grinning.

Toni had come to check on Miranda again, and she smiled at them. "Oh, you don't have anything to worry about Harm," she told him. "He was more interested in _you_, especially without your shirt, than in Mac."

Harm looked at her in shock, and then blushed to the roots of his hair. Looking at Mac and Toni, he shook his head. "Next time, warn me before he comes, so I can make sure that I'm fully dressed," he said, winking at Mac, and giving her his best grin. "I wouldn't want to make you jealous."

**18:41 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac reclined happily in the tub, while Harm was downstairs speaking to Mr. Arturo on the telephone. She looked up when he entered the bathroom, taking a seat on the floor beside the tub.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Harm nodded. "Yeah. Mr. Arturo is flying out here tonight, so we can meet with him to sign some final paperwork in the morning. He also wants to show us how to access our accounts, and transfer money. Mr. Walton wasn't kidding when he said Harmony had it all set up," he told her.

Mac shook her head. "I still can't believe it," she said.

Harm laughed at that. "Neither can I." He looked at her. "We only have three more days, before we need to be back at work… have you thought about what you want to do?"

Mac sighed. "I think, for now, I'm going to start my family leave next week. Miranda's doing such a good job nursing, I feel it's in her best interest for me to be there to nurse her as much as possible."

Harm nodded in agreement. "I think that's a good idea," he told her.

"As far as after my leave is up… I really don't know," she shrugged. "I love my career, but I'm starting to love being a mom more."

Harm reached up and gently stroked her hair. "Mac, you have at least twelve weeks to consider it; don't rush. Whatever you choose, I'm behind you all the way."

Mac smiled at him lovingly. "That really means a lot to me," she said.

Harm lifted himself up off of the floor. "Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Nope, I'm fine," she replied. "I'll be out in a bit."

Harm leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Mac," he said simply. "I'm going to go and call my grandma, and then my mom."

Mac smiled. "I want to hear all about their reactions when they got the checks!" she called after him.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Holy cow! This is the longest chapter yet, but Mac wouldn't let me make you wait another whole chapter to find out what she wanted to do with some of their new inheritance! It's bad enough you have to wait until the end of this chapter to find out! And we all know that you don't want to argue with Mac! GRIN Thank you, thank you, thank you for the feedback! I really appreciate it! Enjoy…

**09:03 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac was just coming down the stairs, when both the phone, and the doorbell, rang at once. Sighing, she grabbed the cordless phone from the kitchen counter, as she made her way to the front door. "Rabb," she said into the phone, just before she opened the front door. Holding up a finger to the man at the door, she listened briefly to the caller. "Yes, this is Sarah Rabb," she said. "Could you hold for just one moment please?" she asked, moving the phone away from her. "Mr. Arturo?" she asked the man at the door.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, holding his hand out for her.

Mac took his hand, shaking it firmly. "I'm sorry, but the phone rang just as you arrived, and my husband is still in the shower; we got a bit of a late start this morning," she apologized. "Please, come in," she said, escorting him into the living room, and indicating that he should sit in the chair near the sofa. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?"

"No thank you, Mrs. Rabb," Mr. Arturo replied.

Mac nodded. "I'll be just a moment then; please excuse me," she said, putting the phone back to her ear and walking towards the kitchen. "I'm sorry, you called just as a guest arrived at the door. What can I do for you?"

Harm came down the stairs, seeing Mac on the phone. He nodded when she pointed towards the living room, and headed out to greet their guest. "Mr. Arturo, I'm Harmon Rabb," he said, extending his hand to the older man.

Pablo Arturo stood, smiling, and shook Harm's hand. "Looks like it's a bit hectic around here this morning," he said.

Harm nodded, indicating that the man should take a seat again. "We got a late start this morning," he explained. "We usually do our morning runs at 05:30, but we didn't get out until 07:45; guess we were just both overtired… it's been a long week," he said, not about to tell the man he'd just met the _real_ reason they were both so exhausted this morning, was because they'd stayed up most of the night making love again.

"I understand, sir," Mr. Arturo said.

"Please, call me Harm," Harm said to him, just as Mac came back into the room and sat beside him on the sofa.

"Harm, then," Mr. Arturo said. "And please, both of you, call me Pablo," he said, smiling again. He put his briefcase up on the coffee table, and opened it, pulling out a file folder. "This is the paperwork we need for both of you to sign," he said. "I'll need copies of both or your photo ID's, and your Social Security cards for security and identification purposes," he said. "I will only share those with the bank manager himself, so you don't need to worry about them becoming common knowledge," he assured them. "With the amount of money we're dealing with, I am very particular about my client's information. Also, since you're both military, I assume you've been fingerprinted?" he asked.

Harm and Mac both nodded, relieved at the reassuring, confident manner in which Pablo handled things.

"I'll need to get each of your right forefinger prints, also, to verify identification," he said. "It seems like a bit much, but really, it's necessary."

"No, no," Harm said. "It's actually comforting to know that you take this so seriously."

"I'm glad you understand," Mr. Arturo said. "Do you have your identification with you?"

Harm reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet, while Mac stood and went to get her purse. "We have both our Virginia driver's licenses, and our military ID's," Harm told him. "Which would you prefer?"

"Actually, I'll use both," Mr. Arturo said. "That will give us some added security," he told him. "Not many of my clients have military identification."

Harm smiled. "I bet," he said, handing him both of his photo ID's and his Social Security card, just as Mac came in and handed him hers, as well. He figured she must have heard them talking about the two forms of ID, since she, too, had given him both her driver's license, and her military ID.

Mr. Arturo pulled a small, rectangular item from his briefcase. It was about four inches wide by six inches long, and about four inches thick. He opened it up, revealing that it was a tiny scanner. Placing one of the ID's onto the scanner, he scanned it, and then moved onto the next one.

When he'd done all of them, he flipped a switch on the scanner, and looked at Mac. "Mrs. Rabb, if you'll come over here, we can scan your right forefinger."

"Please, call me Mac," she said, as she walked over and allowed him to scan her finger, before she sat down again and watched as he repeated the process with Harm. "That's amazing," she said to him. "How do you store all the information in there?" she asked.

Mr. Arturo smiled. "There's a memory card in the slot, like what you find in digital cameras," he explained. "All of the information is stored on there, and when I get back to my computer, I can upload it. This way, I can send it directly to the bank manager, and everything will be finished today. It's all encrypted and password protected, so not just anyone can access the information on either the memory card, my computer, or the bank site. As I said, our client's security is our top priority."

Harm shared a look with Mac, and seeing that she, too, seemed to be reassured, nodded. "That sounds good to us," he said.

Mr. Arturo put the small scanner back into his briefcase, and then handed them the paperwork from the file folder. "Okay, now I need signatures," he said. "I understand that you are both attorneys, so I'll let you take as long as you need to read these over, but I'll give you the short version for each one."

**10:18 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Over an hour later, all of the paperwork had been read through, and signed, and Pablo pulled out two cards, about five inches tall, and seven inches long. "These are your signature cards," he informed them. "Make sure all of the information on them is correct, and sign in the space provided. Mrs. Rabb, because you use both your married name, and your maiden name, you need to provide one of each; there's a box for each one on your card. This is so that the bank manager can fax over a copy to any bank that requests it, in order to verify your signature. If you ever try to withdraw a large amount of cash, these will be necessary," he explained.

Harm and Mac took the cards from him, checked them over, and then signed the appropriate boxes, before handing them back to him.

"Last set of forms," he told them, as he handed them the papers he held. "These are letters of disclosure to your Commanding Officers," he explained. "Since you're in the military, we don't want them getting the wrong idea about where all of the money you suddenly have has come from. The best way to do that, is for me to send them letters of disclosure, detailing where the money came from. Now, I won't tell them how much, unless they specifically ask, but this will help to keep you out of any trouble. Do you have any problems with this?" he asked.

Harm looked at Mac, and they talked quietly for a moment, before both shaking their heads.

"No," Harm said. "It makes sense, and it's okay with us."

Pablo nodded. "Good, so sign here," he said, indicating the lines they needed to sign. Once they'd done that, he put the letters back into his briefcase, and pulled out two slim, leather cases, a piece of paper, and two boxes.

"Okay, here are your checkbooks," he said, handing one to Harm, and one to Mac, along with the paper. "The boxes contain your extra checks. You'll need to go to the website indicated on this paper, and set up a profile with your account number. Then you can order your bankcards, set up your PIN numbers, and check your account information," he said, watching their eyes widen as they read the 'beginning balance' line. "Don't worry about tracking what you spend like you do with your other accounts, unless you really want to; that's my job. Just let me know if you plan on writing any extremely large checks, like to a charity, or to purchase a home or vehicle. I need to know about those right away. Do you have any questions?"

"How long do we need to wait, before we can write checks with these?" Mac asked, thinking about what she and Harm had discussed the day before.

"The checkbooks are ready to use whenever you'd like," Pablo told her. "If you want to withdraw cash, you'll have to wait a few days for the signature cards to be processed, or wait until your bank cards arrive."

"Then there's only one other thing we'd like to discuss with you, before you leave," Mac said, smiling at Harm.

Pablo looked at her expectantly. "Anything you need," he assured her.

**17:27 EST**

**Roberts Home**

**Rosslyn, VA**

Harm and Mac rang the bell at Bud and Harriet's home. They had offered to bring dinner for the family, telling them that they had something they needed to speak with them about.

"Harm, Mac!" Bud exclaimed, a wide grin on his face, as he opened the door for them. "Oh, here, Mac, let me help you with those," he said, taking the bags she carried from her.

"Thanks, Bud," Mac said, as they followed him into the house. Two little whirlwinds quickly attached themselves to her legs.

"Aunty Mac! Uncle Harm! You're here!" Little AJ exclaimed.

Mac kneeled down, hugging them both. "Mmm… there's my boys!" she said. "Have you been good?"

"Yes!" Jimmy crowed, smiling.

"Are we comin' to your house for the fourth of July?" Little AJ asked. "We want to see fireworks!"

"You think there are fireworks at my house?" Mac asked him.

"Daddy told Mommy that ever since you and Uncle Harm got married, there is always fireworks at your house!" he told her.

Mac looked up at Harriet, who stood holding Nikki, blushing furiously. "Oh, he did, did he?" she asked, grinning and tickling AJ's tummy. "Well, we'll have to see about a party at my house, complete with fireworks! Maybe I can get a pool for you to swim in, too, how would you like that?" she asked the boys.

"Yaay! That would be fun! Fireworks at Aunty Mac's house!" Little AJ exclaimed, dancing around the living room, Jimmy following along.

"Maybe your new cousin Miranda will be home by then, too," she said.

"She swim too?" Jimmy asked.

Mac smiled, shaking her head. "No; she's too little."

Harm stuck his head out of the kitchen. "Dinner!"

"Yaay! Food!" Little AJ yelled, running towards the kitchen. He squealed when Harm snatched him up, carrying him to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

Mac did the same with Jimmy, and then after everyone was washed, they sat down at the table.

Bud prayed over their meal, and then they served the kids first, before they got their own food. They shared the simple pleasure of eating, talking, and enjoying one another's company. Afterwards, Bud and Harm took the twins upstairs to get them ready for bed, while Mac and Harriet cleaned up after dinner and watched the boys play in the backyard.

Mac watched the boys running around like madmen, and laughed. "I wish they could bottle that energy!" she exclaimed.

"Me, too," Harriet sighed. "I'm exhausted."

Mac smiled at her friend. "With four kids under six, it's no wonder! How do you do it?"

"A lot of love, a little patience, and chocolate," Harriet said, smiling.

Mac tossed her head back and laughed. "Sounds like a plan," she said. "So, I know the twins aren't even a year old yet, but have you and Bud talked about having anymore?"

Harriet smiled. "We talked about it; and then Bud went a couple of months ago and got fixed… so we are definitely done," she said. "We just feel like our family is… complete."

Mac smiled, nodding. She turned her head at the sound of her husband's voice bellowing from the backdoor.

"All right ruffians! You're next!" he said, heading out and snatching first one, and then the other, squealing little boy. "Baths and then bed!"

"No, no, no!" Jimmy cried out. "No bed!"

Harm held Jimmy over Harriet. "Kiss Mommy," he ordered.

Jimmy complied, giggling.

"Next," he said, holding Little AJ out.

AJ kissed his mom. "Night, Mommy!"

"Goodnight boys," Harriet said, smiling at them.

Harm moved over to Mac, repeating his actions. "Kisses for Aunty Mac!"

Once both boys had been kissed, Harm flung one over each shoulder, growling as they giggled, and carried them into the house.

Harriet looked at Mac. "He's so good with kids; he's going to be a great dad."

Mac smiled. "Yeah, he is. You should see him hold Miranda."

"You got to hold her finally?" Harriet asked, surprised.

Mac's eyes widened. "Oh! I forgot to tell you!" She proceeded to tell Harriet all about the day before. "I can't wait to show you the pictures we took!"

"I can't wait to see them," Harriet said, as Bud and Harm finally joined them out on the patio.

Harm slipped behind Mac on the picnic bench, setting the folder he'd brought with him on the table, and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Bud sat beside Harriet in the porch swing. "Thank you so much for dinner," he said. "We really appreciate it; and thanks for helping me to get the kids in bed."

"No problem, Bud," Harm said.

"So, what did you need to talk to us about?" Bud asked. "On the phone, it sounded pretty important."

Mac glanced up at Harm, nodding.

"Well, it seems that Harmony left us more than just Miranda," Harm began.

"What do you mean?" Harriet asked, as she and Bud both frowned in confusion.

"Turns out my sneaky cousin was a multi-millionaire," Harm said. "She left it all to us."

Bud and Harriet's jaws dropped open, and their eyes grew wide. They were both speechless.

Mac laughed, nodding. "That was pretty much our reaction, too," she said.

"Um, you're telling us that you two are now millionaires?" Harriet asked.

"Uh, yeah," Harm said, shrugging. "Thirty-something million?" he asked Mac.

Mac nodded. "Something like that."

Bud made a strangling noise. "Wow," he finally choked out.

"What does this have to do with us?" Harriet asked, confused.

Harm opened the folder, handing her the papers inside.

They waited quietly while Bud and Harriet examined the papers, knowing exactly when it finally sunk in, by Harriet's startled gasp. She looked up at them, eyes wide. "Harm… Mac… we couldn't possibly--"

Mac cut her off. "Yes, you can," she said. "All four of your children are our godchildren, and this is our gift to them. Just smile and say 'thank you'."

"But… you set up trust funds for each one of them," Bud said, still in shock.

"We want each one of them to be able to attend college," Harm said. "This is something that we can, and want to, do."

"We… we don't know what to say," Bud said softly. He looked at Harriet, and they both smiled at Harm and Mac. "Thank you; thank you, so much."

Mac pulled out the other paper from the folder. "We didn't forget our other godchild, either," Mac said, fighting back the tears, as she handed it to them. "This is for Sarah."

Harriet read the title on the paper out loud. "The Sarah Roberts Memorial Foundation…"

"It will provide grief counseling, and help families who've lost children to help pay to bury them, but more importantly, it will help fund research, and preventative measures, to keep other parents from having to suffer what you did," Mac told them.

Both Bud and Harriet had tears in their eyes, as Harriet stood and hugged first Mac, and then Harm.

"Thank you," she whispered, as the tears flowed freely.

Bud, too, had stood up, and he hugged Mac, and then shook Harm's hand, before pulling him into a brief, friendly hug. "You don't know what this means to us," he said, smiling through his tears.

Harm wrapped his arms around Mac again, squeezing her tightly, as she looked up at him and smiled, wiping away the tears that had run down her cheeks.

They knew they'd made the right decision, and they were glad that Pablo had been able to get it done for them so quickly.

"I think we do Bud," Harm said softly.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Ugh! Ever have one of those days when you wish you could crawl back into bed, and have a 'do over'? Yeah… today was one of those! Thanks ever so much for all of the terrific feedback! It keeps me motivated on days like today! Enjoy…

**05:22 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

_He was wet, and cold, so cold, and the waves kept pulling him under… but he had to fight. He had to keep going. He had to get back… to her. As yet another icy wave pulled him into the dark depths beneath him, he fought with only one thing in mind; he had to get back to her. Had to get back to Mac; to tell her that he loved her, to stop her from marrying Bugme. But he was losing the fight… he was losing…_

Harm jolted awake, gasping for breath.

Mac, startled by Harm's sudden shout, and his even more sudden movements, sat up, wrapping her arms around him. "Hey, hey… easy," she soothed, holding him tight. "Are you okay? What is it?" she asked.

Harm shook his head, shaking away the remnants of the dream. No, not a dream; it was a memory. As reality reasserted itself, he laid back down, pulling Mac with him, and wrapping his arms around his wife. "Mac," he whispered into her hair.

"Bad dream?" she asked.

"Bad memory," he murmured.

Mac pulled back slightly to look at him up at him. "Memory?"

"When Skates and I had to punch out, and I was adrift in the Atlantic during the storm," he told her quietly, not wanting to discuss Brumby, her almost marriage, or that difficult time in their history. "I'm okay now," he assured her, pulling her back into his arms and tightening his hold on her. "I have you; I'm okay."

"You have me forever, Harm," she promised, realizing that he didn't want to discuss it, and not wanting to force the issue.

They held each other for a little longer, and then Harm kissed the top of her head. "The alarm is going to go off any minute; ready to run?"

"Only if you promise to take a bath with me when we get home," she said, smiling seductively at him.

Harm gave her his sexy smile. "It's a deal."

**08:12 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac sat in the rocker beside Miranda's incubator, her bra off and her blouse open, as she nursed the tiny infant. She was softly murmuring loving words to her, stroking her cheek with her pinky finger.

Harm sat in the recliner nearby, watching her intently. "How is she eating today?" he asked.

Mac smiled up at him. "Good," she replied.

Toni came over to them, carefully taking Miranda's tiny arm and checking her pulse, before looking at Harm and Mac. "Ready for another step?" she asked.

Harm leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees. "What step?" he asked curiously.

"We're going to remove the coverings on her eyes tomorrow," she told them. "It's time for Miranda to start adjusting to seeing the world around her."

Harm frowned slightly. "Is it safe?"

Toni smiled at him. "Perfectly; we wouldn't risk it, if it wasn't. We need to get an idea of how her eyes are doing, and we can't do that with them covered."

"Is there a chance she could have vision problems?" Mac asked.

Toni sighed. "There's always a chance that she could have some vision problems, or even be blind, but it's a pretty small chance. As with everything, it's one step at a time," she told them. "Don't worry about problems, unless you have to."

Mac nodded in understanding. She looked back down at Miranda, still stroking her cheek gently, and began murmuring softly to her again. After two more minutes, she changed sides, settling back in to continue nursing. "I have an appointment Monday with Dr. Martindale," she told Harm. "She wants me to keep taking the hormone shots twice a week, until Miranda is six months old, to make sure that I keep producing milk. It's also time for my yearly female checkup, so she wants to do that, and she got my records and wants to see where I'm at as far as the endometriosis is concerned."

"What time is your appointment?" he asked. He was planning to go back to work for at least a week, so that he could be home when Miranda was released.

"In the morning, so I'll call you to let you know what she says," Mac replied. "Then I'll be coming here to sit with Miranda."

Harm nodded. "Do you want me to see if I can go in late, and go with you?"

Mac smiled at him. "There's no need; I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Okay," he said. "Mondays are usually our busiest days, so if I don't answer my cell, leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Mac nodded, before returning her attention to Miranda, who'd released the nipple, and let out a tiny cry. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Mac asked, soothing the distraught infant. She tried to get her to latch on again, but couldn't.

Gently, she adjusted Miranda so that she was resting flat against her chest, between the valley of her breasts, her left hand supporting her bottom, and her right hand covering her back, and supporting her head.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mac soothed. "Shh…"

Miranda once again let out her soft, bleating cry, and Mac looked at Harm uncertainly. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

Harm moved from the recliner, kneeling beside the rocker. He placed his hand over Mac's. "Miranda…" he said quietly. "It's okay, princess; Mommy and Daddy are here."

Miranda quieted for just a moment, before she let out another cry, squirming again.

"Maybe we should check her diaper?" Mac suggested.

Harm nodded, and followed as Mac stood and moved to lay Miranda in the incubator. Opening her diaper, Mac tentatively checked it.

"Well, it's a little wet," she said, motioning towards the stack of diapers on the nearby table. "Hand me a diaper, please?"

Harm obliged, and watched as Mac changed Miranda's diaper, and then picked her back up again. "She still isn't settling down," he observed. "Maybe now that she's got a clean diaper, she needs to nurse some more?"

Mac nodded, still unsure, and took her seat in the rocker again, trying again to get Miranda to nurse. Miranda latched on briefly, giving a few sucks, and then let go and started fussing again. As her lungs slowly grew stronger, so were her cries. They were still very soft, but they were definitely getting stronger.

"Maybe she's cold?" Mac asked.

Harm grabbed the ultra-soft blanket they'd bought for her, and waited until Mac had her back in the 'Kangaroo hold', before he covered her, helping Mac to carefully move her hands outside of the blanket, supporting Miranda's back and head until she was settled.

After a moment, Miranda settled down, and Mac looked at Harm in relief.

"I think she's gone back to sleep," she told him. "Her breathing has evened out, and she's not moving anymore."

Harm smiled, when he finally noticed Toni standing near the curtain. "Hey, you could have helped us, you know," he teased.

"I could," Toni replied seriously. "But I'm not going to be with you when you go home; besides, you did just fine on your own. You're going to be great parents," she assured them with a smile.

Harm sat back in the recliner, understanding dawning, and looked at Mac. He was sure the smile on his face matched the brilliant smile his wife now wore.

**11:03 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD **

**Next Day**

Dr. Neal entered the curtained off area where Miranda's incubator was, smiling as she saw Harm reclined in the recliner, sound asleep, with Miranda carefully held to his bare chest; one hand under her bottom, and the other palm covering her tiny body.

Mac looked up from the parenting book she was reading, and smiled. "Hello, Dr. Neal," she said, setting the book aside and standing. She squirted a healthy amount of antiseptic gel into her palms, rubbing it over her hands, before she walked over and gently took Miranda from Harm, causing him to stir. "It's okay," she soothed him. "Dr. Neal is here to see her," she explained.

Harm nodded, sitting up.

Mac tenderly laid Miranda back in the incubator, and walked around to the opposite side to watch the doctor work. Harm joined her a moment later.

"According to her chart, she's steadily gaining weight, and she's been nursing, or being fed by tube, every two hours," Dr. Neal said. "So, I'm going to start by removing the feeding tube. As long as she keeps gaining weight, I'll be happy. She's up to three pounds, nine ounces, which is outstanding; another seven ounces, and she can go home, as long as there are no other complications or problems," she told them.

They watched as Dr. Neal removed the nasal canula, and then removed the tape from the tubing, and then slowly, and very carefully, pulled the feeding tube out of Miranda's nose. She then replaced the nasal canula, double checking the setting on the oxygen.

Miranda scrunched up her nose, opened her mouth, and let out a soft cry, her arms flailing.

"Shh… sorry, dear," Dr. Neal said softly. "I know, but I needed to get that nasty thing out of you," she told her, tenderly rubbing her tummy to soothe her. When Miranda had quieted somewhat, Dr. Neal looked at Harm and Mac.

"Okay, now we're going to remove the coverings from her eyes, and then I'm going to check them out, so she'll probably fuss again; just thought I'd warn you."

Harm and Mac both nodded, and then watched as Dr. Neal removed first one, and then the other, gauze blinder that was covering Miranda's eyes.

Miranda had scrunched up her nose again, her eyes squeezed shut, as she let out another soft, pitiful wail.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mac murmured to her. "We're right here."

Miranda's head turned towards the sound of Mac's voice, and she stopped crying. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times at the dim lighting, and then looked in their direction, as if she were waiting for one of them to speak again.

Harm and Mac looked at each other. They both had huge smiles on their faces, and tears in their eyes.

"Hey, princess," Harm said. "That's our girl."

Dr. Neal smiled; Miranda was responding exactly as she should be. "Okay, sweetie," she said, causing Miranda to turn her head again. "Let's check out those eyes of yours." She took a pen light out from her pocket, shining a light into Miranda's eyes, one at a time. "Good," she murmured, as Miranda began to express her displeasure. Pushing another button on the pen light, she shined a blue light into each of her eyes, and then a red one. Each time, she'd softly murmur, "good, good."

Finally, she pulled out the instrument she'd need to look into Miranda's eyes. Holding them open, one at a time again, she shined the tiny built-in light into her eyes, looking closely at them.

By the time she was finished, Miranda had worked herself into quite a state.

"Why don't you hold her now, Mommy?" Dr. Neal suggested, as she stepped away from the incubator.

Mac moved around and picked her up, uttering soothing words and soft sounds. When Miranda began searching for food, Mac sat in the rocker and unbuttoned her blouse enough to be able to feed her. The minute Miranda latched on, silence once more descended.

"I'm very encouraged by what I see," Dr. Neal told them. "Miranda's eyes appear to be fine; we'll watch her progress there. She's responding to your voices, and other outward stimuli, in just the way that she should. I'd say, assuming she continues to gain weight, that she'll be going home by the end of next week, maybe the beginning of the following week at the latest."

Harm and Mac smiled in relief. "Thank you, Dr. Neal," he said.

"My pleasure; I'll see you again tomorrow," she told them, before leaving them alone once more.

**09:14 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Monday**

Mac sat on the exam table, wearing a paper gown, and letting her legs swing in front of her. She'd had the CT scan at 07:30, and the ultrasound at 08:52, so now she just had to wait for Dr. Martindale to come and do the physical part of the exam.

Dr. Martindale came in, and smiled at her. "Well, how are you doing?" she asked.

"Fine," Mac replied.

"Any cramps or back pain?" she asked her, reading some notations on Mac's chart.

"I get pretty bad cramps when I have my periods, but other than that, I haven't had any pain since I had the surgery to remove the scar tissue," Mac told her.

Dr. Martindale nodded. "What was your initial diagnosis as far as conception?"

Mac winced. "Less than ten percent," she answered softly.

"Let's do the physical exam, and then we'll talk some more," Dr. Martindale said. She indicated that Mac should lie down, and put her feet in the stirrups. After concluding the pelvic exam, and taking a specimen for the PAP smear, she moved up and checked her breasts.

"How's the breast feeding and expressing going?" Dr. Martindale asked.

"Great; Miranda's eating about every two hours, and so far there haven't been any problems," Mac told her, as Dr. Martindale finished her exam, and helped her to sit up.

Taking her seat, and making some more notations in Mac's chart, she nodded again. "Good; that's what I want to hear." She set the chart aside, and then looked at Mac. "First, I already discussed with you that I want to keep you on the hormone shots for another six months, though we've dropped you to twice a week for now. In two or three months, we'll drop you to one a week. This is mostly because you've never had a pregnancy, and I'm just a bit worried that nursing alone won't keep your body producing milk. I'll run some blood tests in three months, to see what your hormone levels are, and then we'll go from there. Any questions so far?"

"The hormones won't hurt Miranda, will they?" Mac asked.

Dr. Martindale shook her head. "No; they're just synthetic versions of the ones the body produces while you're nursing, so they won't hurt Miranda."

Mac nodded. "Okay; that's all I needed to know."

"All right," Dr. Martindale replied. "Moving on to the issue of your endometriosis… I reviewed the notes from Commander Purcell, but after the CT scan, and the ultrasound today, I'm questioning her initial diagnosis," she told Mac.

"Questioning? In what way?" Mac asked, confused.

"Well, while your endometriosis is serious, it's not untreatable, and it certainly isn't one of the worst cases I've ever seen. Of course, there is no cure, but there is a new laser surgery available, that is getting remarkable results," Dr. Martindale told her. "If the surgery alone doesn't help you, then I'm sure that the surgery, combined with a regiment of fertility medication would. I'd say we could increase your odds to fifty percent or better," she said. "I can schedule you for the surgery, if you're interested. It's an outpatient surgery, so you'd only be out of commission for about six hours. You would check in about an hour before the procedure, then the surgery itself takes about two and a half to three hours, and then you have about an hour or so in recovery. Does this sound like something you'd like to try?"

Mac sat, stunned. "Um… yes! Of course I'd like to try," she said, smiling. "How long would I have to wait to have the surgery?"

"If there's an opening, we can do it this week," Dr. Martindale answered. "If not, we'll schedule you for next week. You will have to take it pretty easy for the day or two after the surgery; no heavy lifting, or strenuous activity… and sexual intercourse is out for a week after the surgery," she cautioned. "Why don't you get dressed, while I go finish up my notes in your chart, and then I'll send you down to talk to Sherry, about getting scheduled."

"That's fine," Mac told her. "Thank you." She waited until Dr. Martindale had stepped out, before she hopped off of the table to get dressed. Then she went to the doctor's office, to get her new supply of ready-to-administer hormone shots. Once that was taken care of, Dr. Martindale showed her to Sherry's office.

By the time she left to go to the NICU, she was scheduled for surgery on Friday afternoon. She couldn't wait to call Harm!


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Hi all! This one is shorter than usual, but I had another rough day, and I was determined to get _something_ posted! Thanks again for the great feedback! It keeps me posting! Enjoy…

**17:32 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm pulled into the driveway, and saw that Mac was sitting in the swing in the rose garden. Noticing that she didn't even look in his direction when he pulled up, he frowned, wondering what was wrong.

He parked the SUV in it's usual place in the garage, and then he walked out towards the garden. As he drew closer, the splashing sound of the water fountain reached his ears. He waited until he was standing right behind the swing, before speaking.

"Mac?" he called softly.

Mac looked at him, startled, and he could see the tears in her eyes, and the evidence of them on her face.

Heart falling into his shoes, he moved quickly around to sit beside her, pulling her into his arms. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked. "I got your message that you called; did you get mine?"

Mac nodded, still just clinging to him.

"Honey, you're scaring me… tell me what's wrong? Is Miranda all right?" he tried again.

Mac took a deep, shuddering breath. "Miranda's fine… everything's fine," she told him.

"Then why the tears?" he asked uncertainly.

"Because everything is so… perfect," she said, hiccupping slightly.

"That doesn't make a bit of sense," he told her. "Everything's perfect, so you're crying?" He was trying to understand, but he just didn't. "So these are happy tears?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," Mac replied. "And no."

Harm was about to say something, but bit his tongue. He rolled his eyes skyward, silently praying for wisdom and patience. A sudden flash of insight told him not to talk anymore, so he just sat with her in his arms, rocking the swing back and forth slowly, and rubbing her arms and kissing her hair, while she cried softly.

They sat that way for nearly an hour, before Mac finally pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she murmured.

Harm brushed her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "For what?"

"For not pushing… for just… being here," she answered. She kissed him softly, before taking a deep breath. "I saw Dr. Martindale this morning," she told him. "She wants to try a new laser surgery on me for my endometriosis."

Harm nodded, unsure of what to say. "Go on."

"She said that with the surgery, and possibly with some fertility medications, we might be able to increase my chances of conception to fifty percent or better," she explained.

Harm sat for a minute, trying to absorb what she'd just said. Finally, his eyes widened, and he smiled widely, hugging her to him. "Mac! That's… incredible!" he exclaimed, pulling away to look at her. "How do you feel about this?"

Mac smiled. "Great… I could hardly believe it when she told me. Then I went to sit with Miranda, and while I was nursing her, she was looking into my eyes, and--" she paused, her eyes filling with tears again.

"And?" Harm prompted, wondering at her reaction.

"And it was just so… miraculous. Harm, I felt like we… connected; like she's really, truly _mine_. It doesn't matter to me that I didn't give birth to her, she's _my_ little girl," she breathed. "I can't even completely describe it; the feeling's even stronger than it was before."

Harm smiled. "So why the tears?" he asked again, hesitant to push her.

"Because I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, but I'm also more scared than I've ever been," she told him. "It's all just so overwhelming."

At last, he understood. "I know, Mac," he assured her. "I know; I feel the same way."

"You do?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he answered. "A couple of nights ago I was in the shower, and I just started shaking like a leaf. I wasn't cold, I was just… overwhelmed," he said. "I couldn't believe it; it was like everything that's happened in the last six months finally hit me all at once."

"Why didn't you say something?" Mac asked.

"Because I was embarrassed, and I didn't want to upset you," he told her. "I'm supposed to be this tough-guy Navy Captain… pilot, lawyer, husband, father… it's my job to protect and shelter you, not burden you," he said, wincing at the look she gave him.

"Harmon Rabb Jr.," she said, "that is the _dumbest_ thing I've ever heard you say. I ought to kick your six into the middle of next week for…" she trailed off, as she saw the wounded look on his face. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "You can't help who you are."

Harm looked at her and smiled. "I love you."

This time, it was Mac's turn to smile. "I love you, too." Her internal clock told her that it was getting late, so she stood and put her hand out towards him. "You need to go and change, if we're going to go and see Miranda tonight. I'll figure out what to do about dinner."

Harm wrapped his arm around her waist as they made their way towards the house. "How about we go out? We can find someplace to stop on the way?"

Mac looked up at him, stopping just inside the side door. "Sounds good to me," she said, standing on tip-toes to give him a sweet kiss.

**14:31 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Friday**

Harm kissed Mac's forehead, watching as the nurse put in the IV, and then administered the sedative. He had chosen to start his family leave that day, so that he could be present for Mac's surgery.

They had spent most of the day with Miranda, and Mac had nursed her right before it was time for her to report to the surgical floor. She'd been checked in, and then brought to the pre-surgery area, where they'd had her change into a hospital gown, before prepping her for the surgery.

Dr. Martindale came in, and smiled at them. "How are you feeling?" she asked Mac, after shaking Harm's hand.

"Tired," Mac replied, fighting the effects of the sedative.

"I bet," she smiled. "Has the anesthesiologist been in to see you yet?"

"No," Mac said, shaking her head.

"Well, he should be here in a few minutes then," she assured them. She looked at Harm. "She'll be in surgery a couple of hours, and then recovery for another two or three, so you might want to go relax somewhere and come back in about four hours. If you leave me a number where you can be reached, I'll make sure to keep you informed."

Harm nodded. "I think I'm just going to go down and sit with Miranda while she's in surgery," he told her. "If you need to reach me, I'll be there."

She smiled, nodding, and then patted Mac's hand. "It's almost time; try to relax." She turned and left the room.

"Mac, don't fight the sedative," Harm told her. "Just go ahead and sleep."

Mac shook her head. "I don't want to sleep yet," she said.

After another couple of minutes, another doctor came in. "I'm Dr. James," he introduced himself, shaking Harm's hand, and smiling at Mac. "I'll be the anesthesiologist today," he said, getting closer to Mac. "Mrs. Rabb, have you ever had any adverse reactions to anesthetic before?" he asked.

Mac shook her head 'no'.

"Are you allergic to any medications?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"How about any foods? Peanuts, eggs?"

"No," she replied. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Okay then," he said. "We're going to wheel you to the OR and then I'll administer the general anesthetic. We'll be underway very soon," he told them, motioning for the orderly to take her. He looked at Harm. "She'll be fine."

Harm nodded, smiling weakly at him. He stood and kissed her tenderly. "I'll be here after you wake up," he promised.

"Okay," Mac said, smiling at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he told her. He stood and watched the orderly wheel her through the double doors that would take her to the operating room, and silently prayed that she'd be all right. As soon as she was gone, he walked out of the pre-surgery room and headed for the NICU.

**19:09 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm sat in the recliner, with Miranda comfortably lying on his bare chest, trying not to watch the clock. It was thirty minutes past the time when Mac should have been out of recovery, but he hadn't heard a word.

Tenderly kissing the top of Miranda's head, he slowly sat up and pulled the bottle out of the warmer, testing it on his forearm, before he started to feed Miranda. She fought the bottle for a moment, but finally settled in.

"I know, you miss Mommy; I do, too," he told her.

Miranda looked up at him, as she suckled on the bottle.

Harm smiled down at her. He would never get tired of watching this little miracle.

Miranda was sucking down the bottle quickly, making little gasping noises as she drank.

"Hey, hey," Harm said. "Slow down; you'll get a tummy ache."

Tessa came over and looked at her. "She's going to get too much air in her tummy," she told him. "Why don't you stop and burp her, before you give her the rest of the bottle, and then burp her again?"

Harm nodded to the young blonde nurse, gently tugging the nipple from Miranda's mouth, and smiling at her softly wailed protest. "Take it easy," Harm soothed. "You can have it back in a minute." He grabbed the cloth diaper they used for a 'burp cloth', and put it over his shoulder, before he tenderly moved her into position and lightly rubbed her back.

After just a few seconds, he heard the soft expulsion of air, and then he cradled her in his arms again, giving the bottle back to her, shaking his head when she again began suckling at it quickly, and making the little gasping noises.

He'd just finished burping her for the second time, again cradling her against his chest, when Dr. Martindale came in. His gut tightened when he saw her, sure that there must be a problem, but he relaxed when she smiled at him. "How's Mac?" he asked.

"She's resting in recovery," she told him. "The surgery was a little trickier than I'd anticipated, but it was a complete success; she'll be ready to leave in about another hour or so."

Harm relaxed. "Thank you," he said sincerely, smiling.

"You're welcome," she said, looking at Miranda. "She's made great progress! She's what? Twice the size she was when she was born?"

Harm nodded. "Yeah, pretty close; she gets to go home on Monday."

Dr. Martindale smiled at him. "That's great news; congratulations. Now, I have to get back upstairs to check on Mac before I leave for the night. She'll be discharged as soon as they are sure she can get up and use the restroom. I don't want her left alone at all for the next twenty-four hours. She can come here, or she can stay home and rest… nothing else. And she told you about the no sexual intercourse for seven days rule?" she asked.

Harm blushed. "Ah, yeah," he replied. "I understand."

"Good," Dr. Martindale smiled. "I'll see her in the office in five days, then."

Harm nodded. "Thanks, again."

Dr. Martindale winked at him, before she left the NICU.

Harm sat with Miranda for another thirty minutes, before he tucked her in and made his way to the surgical unit.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Well, here we are again! As always, THANK YOU so much, for all of the great feedback! It keeps me motivated! Enjoy…**

**19:41 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm returned to the surgical floor, and asked the nurse at the desk where to find Mac. Following her instructions, he entered a section labeled 'Post-Op/Discharge', where another nurse took him to the curtained-off cubicle where Mac was. He smiled when he saw her sitting up in the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, moving to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"Okay," Mac replied. "A little disoriented still, but they say that will pass. How is Miranda?"

"Fine," Harm assured her. "I fed her a bottle, changed her, and put her down before I left."

"I probably shouldn't go see her tonight, then?" Mac asked, clearly disappointed.

"Are you feeling up to it?" Harm asked, concerned. "You just had surgery."

Mac smiled at him. "I'm fine, honest. It always takes me a bit to clear the cobwebs from the anesthetic, but I feel fine."

"If you're sure," he told her.

"I'm sure," Mac replied. "I want to see my baby before I go home."

Harm smiled at her. "Yes, ma'am," he said, winking at her.

Fifteen minutes later, a volunteer was wheeling Mac to the NICU, Harm close behind. They stopped outside the prep room, and Mac thanked the woman for her help.

Once they'd donned their clothing covers and washed their hands, they went to the door of the NICU and buzzed to be let in.

They entered the NICU, and made their way to Miranda's corner, their steps slowing when they saw her incubator was missing.

"Tessa?" Harm asked, looking towards the nurse who was sitting at the desk, doing paperwork. "Where's Miranda?"

Tessa looked up, surprised to see them. "Radiology," she said, standing and moving towards them. "She had some tests ordered, so they came and took her a few minutes ago. They should be bringing her back soon, if you'd like to wait."

Harm and Mac both relaxed, thanking her before they sat down. As usual, Harm sat in the recliner, while Mac sat in the rocker. They spoke quietly while they waited for Miranda's return.

"I gave Bill the next few weeks off," Harm told her, referring to their gardener.

"Why?" Mac asked, surprised.

"I figure I'm going to be home, so I may as well do the work myself. If I decide it's too much work, or that I'd just prefer to pay Bill to do it, then I'll call him back and resume his services," he explained. "Bud doesn't have a gardener, and his lawns always look terrific."

"Bud's yards aren't nearly as big as ours," Mac pointed out. "Plus, we have the rose garden, too."

Harm paused; he hadn't thought of that. "Well, I'd still like to give it a go before I decide."

Mac smiled. "Whatever you want to do, dear."

Harm raised an eyebrow, cocked his head, and pointed a finger in her direction. He was saved from replying, when an orderly rolled Miranda's incubator into the room.

"Here's your girl," he said, as he moved it back into position and plugged it back in.

Harm and Mac thanked him, as they stood and moved to stand beside her.

He nodded to them, and quietly left.

"I have to get her vitals before you hold her," Tessa told them. "Just give me a minute, please."

Harm moved aside to allow Tessa to do her job, while Mac sat back down in the rocker, and they watched silently as Tessa moved with quick, gentle efficiency.

It only took her a couple of minutes to get the information she needed, and to record it onto Miranda's chart. "All set," she told them, smiling.

Harm carefully lifted Miranda out of the incubator, as Mac opened her blouse, and then he handed her over. "Here you are, Mommy," he said, kissing Miranda softly on the forehead.

Miranda's eyes opened and she immediately began 'rooting'.

"I just fed her about a little over an hour ago," Harm said, surprised, taking a seat in the recliner.

Mac smiled at him, as she adjusted Miranda to allow her to nurse. As soon as Miranda had latched on, she relaxed completely, letting out a slow breath.

"There's just no substitute for mommy," Tessa told him, smiling. "Sometimes they need to nurse as much for comfort, as for hunger; don't take it personally."

Harm nodded, smiling again.

Mac nursed Miranda for about ten minutes, just sitting in silence and looking into the infant girl's eyes. When Miranda was satisfied, and had fallen asleep, Harm came and picked her up, kissing her tenderly before putting her back into the incubator. "G'night princess," he said softly. "We'll be back tomorrow."

**22:07 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac came out of the bathroom, and crawled into bed. She turned to face Harm, who was sitting up in the bed, reading a book.

"I think I'm going to skip our morning run tomorrow, if that's okay with you," she told him.

Harm looked at her. "Of course," he replied. "Dr. Martindale said you need to rest for the next forty-eight hours, and especially this first twenty-four. I'm not supposed to leave you alone, so I think I'll skip the run tomorrow, too. I'll get plenty of exercise doing the yard work tomorrow."

Mac smiled softly, nodding. She yawned, and placed her palm on his covered thigh. "Good night, Harm," she said. "I love you."

Harm set his book aside, flipping off the light and scooting under the covers. He turned on his side facing her, and pulled her close, kissing her lips briefly. "Good night, Ninja Girl," he whispered. "I love you, too."

Mac smiled; he hadn't called her that in awhile. She slipped into sleep in just a few short minutes.

Harm just lay there holding her, listening to her quiet breathing. He silently gave thanks for the woman in his arms, the child that they would be bringing home in a few days, and the teenager that was such a part of his life. His girls. He smiled at that thought, as he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. _Mattie!_

He realized that he hadn't seen her in weeks, and she hadn't been to see Miranda at all. No, no, no… he had to fix that.

Determined that he would contact Tom and Mattie first thing in the morning, he finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**07:45 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

"Ma-ac," Harm called softly. "Hey sleepyhead, breakfast is served," he said, setting the tray he carried onto the night table, and leaning forward to kiss her awake.

Mac opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the bright sunlight streaming in through their windows. "Mmm… why'd you let me sleep so late?" she asked

"Because you had surgery yesterday, and went to bed late," he responded, brushing her hair from her forehead. "You needed the rest."

Mac nodded, lifting up enough to kiss him again. "You're right, I did need it; thank you."

"Do you want to eat breakfast here in bed, or out on the balcony?" Harm asked. "It's nice out there right now."

"Have you eaten yet?" she asked. "If not, I'd like to eat out on the balcony with you."

Harm smiled. "No, I haven't eaten yet, and I'd love to join you for breakfast." He carried the tray out to the balcony, setting the meal on the small table.

Mac came out a few moments later, wrapped in her black and red silk robe. "It looks delicious," she told him, taking the seat Harm held out for her.

Harm helped her to be seated, and then told her he was going to go and get his breakfast.

Mac sipped at her coffee. Though she'd had to switch to decaf since she was nursing, she still enjoyed her morning cup of java.

Harm returned with his own breakfast, setting it on the table and taking his seat.

Mac put some syrup on her homemade banana nut pancakes, and then took a bite. "Ohh… Mmm… Harm, you've outdone yourself!" she said, smiling.

Harm returned her smile. "Anything for you, my love," he said.

They talked over breakfast, making plans for their Independence Day barbecue, before Harm changed the subject.

"Mac, would it be okay if Mattie came and stayed with us tonight?" he asked. "She hasn't seen Miranda yet, and I'd like her to come and stay for a couple of days or so."

"Of course it's okay," Mac told him. "Mattie is always welcome here, anytime. She is part of the family, after all."

"Thanks, Mac," Harm said. "That means a lot to me. I'll see if Tom can bring her out to Bethesda this afternoon. If not, maybe he can bring her to the house this evening, and she can go with us tomorrow," he said.

"That's fine," Mac said, smiling. "While you're on the phone with him, find out if Mattie can come for the week of the Fourth; she and Chloe can hang out together."

Harm nodded. "That sounds good to me."

When they were finished eating, Harm told Mac to relax, and he would clean up before he went out to work on the yards.

"You don't have to wait on me hand and foot, Harm," Mac told him. "I can help you out."

"_You_ are going to rest today and tomorrow… after that, you can go back to business as usual," he told her. Softening at her look, he cupped her cheek in his palm. "Mac, please, just humor me for a few days… please?"

Mac sighed, and then smiled, turning her head so she could kiss his palm. "Okay," she conceded, knowing that he only wanted what was best for her.

"I love you," he said, leaning forward and kissing her softly.

"I love you, too," she said.

Harm began cleaning up the dishes, piling them onto the tray, before he stepped back into the house to take them down to the kitchen.

Mac stood and moved to the balcony railing, leaning against it. She inhaled deeply of the fresh morning air, and smiled, looking out over the backyard, and the forest beyond, before she finally stood and stretched. Then she went inside to take a bath and dress for the day.

**11:32 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac walked out to the front yard, two tall glasses of lemonade in hand. Harm had finished the backyard, and the rose garden, and was now tackling the front yard. She figured by now he'd need a break, and something cool to drink, since it was getting warmer as the day progressed.

"Hey, Sailor," she said, moving to her husband and handing him the lemonade. "Ready to take a break?" Harm gratefully accepted the lemonade, drinking half of it down in one long swallow. "Thanks," he sighed.

"You're welcome," she smiled, sipping her lemonade and eyeing his gorgeous form. He was wearing a white tank top t-shirt, and white cargo shorts. There was no doubting that Harm was in terrific shape, and he was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She was silently cursing the 'no sex for seven days' rule, as she watched him move.

"How are you feeling?" Harm asked her.

"Great," she told him. "Don't wear yourself out, we still need to go see Miranda today," she said, smiling at him.

"Okay, okay," he said, softly. He quickly drank down the last of his lemonade, before handing her his empty glass and winking at her. "I'm just about finished here, and then I'll grab a quick shower."

"I'll make lunch," she told him. When she saw he was about to protest, she held up a hand. "I can handle making lunch."

Harm grinned, nodding. "All right then," he said.

Mac smiled at him, kissing his cheek, before she went back into the house. Once inside, she started making egg salad for lunch. She'd just gotten the fruit cut up when Harm came in, kissing her on the neck, and then grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

"I'm going to run up and shower," he told her. "That looks great," he said, nodding towards the bowl of egg salad and the plate of fresh fruit. "I'll be down in a couple of minutes."

Mac smiled and nodded. "See you in a few," she said, as he took the stairs two at a time. She put the bread into the toaster, just as the phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

"Mac, darling," Trish's voice came through over the line.

"Trish! How are you?" Mac asked, smiling at the sound of her mother-in-law's voice.

"Terrific, dear," Trish replied. "Frank and I were wondering what you and Harm have planned for the Fourth?" she asked.

"We're having a barbecue," Mac told her. "Bud, Harriet, and the kids are coming, Admiral Chegwidden will be here, Mattie and Chloe are coming… pretty much the 'family'. Why?" she asked.

"We wanted to come and visit, but if you're going to have a house full, maybe we'd better wait," Trish said.

"Nonsense!" Mac exclaimed. "We'd love to have you! Besides, the house full is just for part of the day; we're planning a barbecue in the late afternoon, and then we're all going to go to the park, and watch the fireworks after dark. We'd love for you to come; the more the merrier," Mac told her.

"Are you sure?" Trish hesitated.

"Absolutely sure," Mac replied, as she took the bread from the toaster and made the sandwiches. "Besides, you, Frank, and Grammy need to come and see Miranda… she's coming home on Monday."

"Oh, darling, that's wonderful news!" Trish exclaimed. "In that case, we'll plan on flying out there for the Holiday. I'll call you when I have the details."

"That's fine, Trish," Mac told her. "We'll look forward to seeing you."

"Goodbye, dear," Trish said.

"Goodbye," Mac replied, hanging up the phone just as Harm came down the stairs.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Your mother," she told him. "Your mom, Frank, and Grammy are coming for the Fourth."

Harm smiled. "Great."

Mac nodded, as she set a plate with a sandwich and some fruit in front of him. "Now we just have to figure out where to put everyone," she told him. "We only have the apartment, and the guest bedroom, and we're going to have your parents, your grandma, and Mattie and Chloe."

"Hmm; that could be tricky," Harm said. "Why don't we put Mom and Frank up in a hotel, Grammy can stay in the apartment, and the girls can share the guest bedroom?"

"We could do that," Mac agreed. "Or, we could put your mom and Frank in the apartment, Grammy in the guest room, and the girls could 'camp out' in the living room or backyard."

Harm grinned. "We'll work it out," he finished lunch, and Harm quickly cleaned up while Mac got ready to leave. In less than thirty minutes, they were on their way to the hospital to see Miranda.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: I try not to forget, so: THANK YOU for all of the great feedback! It is greatly appreciated, even if I don't have the chance to respond in person. Glad so many of you are enjoying my little A/U here! Enjoy…

**13:30 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac sat in the rocker, nursing Miranda, and rocking gently back and forth. Miranda was looking up at her, an intense look of concentration on her face. Mac smiled at her.

"Whatcha thinking about? Hmm?" she asked softly. It was time to switch sides, so she stuck her finger in the side of Miranda's mouth to break the suction and moved her up to her shoulder, gently rubbing her back.

Miranda began to protest, her soft, bleating cries growing steadily stronger.

"That's our girl," Harm said, smiling, as he walked up with Mattie in tow.

"Oh! She's so cute!" Mattie exclaimed quietly, as she moved closer, leaning forward to get a better look at her. "Oh, Harm, Mac, she's adorable! You weren't kidding when you said she was tiny," she said to Harm.

Harm smiled at her. "She's a lot bigger now than she was when she was born," he told her.

"No way!" Mattie said. "Wow… she must have been really small! Hi, Mac," she finally said, looking up at her. "I didn't mean to ignore you, I was just so excited about seeing Miranda. She's so sweet."

Mac looked at Mattie. "Hi Mattie; it's okay, I understand," she said, and then looked at Harm. "You convinced them to let her in?" she asked Harm.

He shrugged. "Yeah… I told them she's almost sixteen, and that Miranda's the equivalent of her little sister. They agreed to bend the rules for us, as long as we don't spread it around."

Mac smiled. "Gotcha," she replied over Miranda's steadily increasing volume. "Okay, here you go," she told the infant, as she moved her into position and allowed her to latch on again, covering herself as much as she could with her blouse.

Harm indicated to Mattie that she should sit in the recliner. "As soon as she's finished eating, we'll let you hold her," he told her.

Mattie smiled. "No problem," she said. "How are you doing, Mac?"

Mac smiled at her. "Great," she replied. "Did Harm tell you Miranda gets to go home on Monday?"

"Yeah, he did; I bet you two are excited," she said.

"We are," Mac told her. "Did your dad say you could come for the Fourth?" she asked. "We'd like to have you for that whole week, if he's agreeable to it."

Mattie grinned broadly. "Yeah, he did," she answered. "Harm told me Chloe's going to be here, too. I can hardly wait." She hesitated for a second, and Mac and Harm could clearly see she wanted to ask a question.

"What is it?" Harm asked her. "You look like you want to ask us something."

"Well, it's just… how can you breastfeed, if you didn't give birth to Miranda?" Mattie asked Mac. "I didn't think that was possible."

Mac smiled. "The miracles of modern medicine," she told her. "I started on hormone shots before she was born to make my body start producing milk. Now that I'm nursing, my body should keep making milk on its own, but I have to take the shots for awhile longer, just in case."

"That's so cool," Mattie said. "It's amazing what they can do nowadays."

Mac agreed. "So, how are you enjoying your summer vacation?" she asked Mattie.

"It's been really nice so far," she said. "My dad and I have been busy trying to get Grace Aviation up and running again, and I've been spending my free time with friends. I've even started taking flying lessons," she told them.

Harm grinned broadly. "Oh yeah? What are you learning to fly first?" he asked.

"A Cessna," Mattie told him. "I figure I'll learn that first, and then go from there."

Harm nodded. "That's a good plane to start in."

They talked quietly for awhile longer, while Miranda continued to nurse. When she finally pulled away, and Mac determined that she was finished, Mac moved her up to her shoulder, pulling her blouse closed more, and began rubbing her back. As soon as she heard Miranda's soft burp, she smiled at Mattie.

"Ready to hold your little sister?" she asked.

Mattie grinned. "I thought you'd never ask!" she said excitedly.

Harm took Miranda's blanket, putting it across Mattie's front and shoulder. "I don't think you need to take your shirt off," he grinned at her, "so this should be soft enough for Miranda, and still keep her warm."

Mattie nodded. "Thanks," she said.

As soon as Harm had the blanket settled, he went over to Mac and carefully took Miranda from her, cradling her in his arms. He smiled down at her, as she looked up at him. "Hi princess," he said to her. "Someone's here who wants to meet you."

With great care, he handed Miranda over to Mattie, helping her to get Miranda settled against her.

"Make sure you support her bottom, and her head," he told her softly. Once he was sure she had it under control, he moved away, watching them.

Mattie held the tiny girl with an almost reverent quality. "Hi, Miranda," she said softly. "I can't tell you how lucky you are to have Harm and Mac as your parents, and I promise, I'll be the best big sister in the world to you." She smiled up at Harm, as he snapped a photo.

Mac had buttoned up her blouse, and went to stand beside Harm, wrapping her arms around his waist as they watched Mattie with Miranda. She smiled at him, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"I think we're the lucky ones," she said quietly to him.

Harm hugged her tighter to him, kissing the top of her head. "Yeah, we sure are," he said, a contented smile on his face.

**20:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mattie walked out of the house, headed towards where Mac was sitting on the swing in the rose garden, quietly feeding the ducks that had taken up residence in the pond.

"I brought you some iced tea," she said, holding a glass out to Mac.

"Thank you, Mattie," Mac said, accepting the glass. "Where's Harm?" she asked.

Mattie shrugged, as Mac indicated that she should sit beside her on the swing. "On the phone with some guy named Pablo," she said.

Mac nodded in understanding. "So, how are you and your dad getting along?"

"Okay," Mattie said. "It's been rough sometimes, but we're making progress. He's attending AA meetings three nights a week, and he got a part-time job, until we can get Grace Aviation off the ground again… no pun intended," she grinned.

Mac smiled at her. "Problems with the business?" she asked.

"Money," Mattie said. "No one wants to give my dad a loan, and since I pretty much sank it when I had control, well… it's just going to be hard to get the money to start it up again, let alone keep it running until we get a decent client base."

"What types of services did you offer?" Mac asked.

"Mostly crop dusting, but I did have two Cessna pilots that offered private flights," Mattie told her. "That's how I met Harm, you know; he was one of my crop dusters."

Mac smiled at that. "I think he mentioned it," she said.

"Mac, can I ask you something?" Mattie asked hesitantly.

"Of course you can," Mac told her.

"How old were you the first time you… well, you know?" Mattie asked, hedging. "The first time you had sex?" she asked, blushing.

Mac kept her face carefully neutral. "Is this something you're considering?"

Mattie bit her bottom lip. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "There's this guy, and I really like him, but I don't know if I'm ready for that particular step or not."

"Is he pressuring you?" Mac asked.

"No… God, no," Mattie said. "He's kinda mentioned it once or twice, but he hasn't pushed me at all. He's really been great about it."

Mac considered her answer carefully. "Mattie, if you have any doubts about it, any at all, then it would be best to wait. Yes, you're young, but that's not the only reason. When it's right, you'll know… and don't ever let anyone pressure you into it. If the guy can't wait for you to be ready, he's not the one you should be giving yourself to in the first place. Does that make sense?" she asked.

Mattie nodded. "Yeah, it does. Thanks."

"One other thing," Mac said to her. "If you decide that's a step you want to take, and you can't talk to your dad or Harm about it, come to me first. I'll take you to make sure that you get some form of protection… because if you do decide that's something you want to do, you need to protect yourself from pregnancy _and_ disease. Don't rely on the guy to do it for you; part of growing up is being responsible for your actions."

Mattie nodded again. "I promise, if it becomes something I'm really, seriously considering, I'll tell you first. Just… don't say anything to my dad or Harm about it, please? They'd both freak out if they knew I was even _thinking_ about it."

Mac smiled at her, putting her arm around her shoulders and giving her a quick hug. "I promise; not a word." They both laughed, and then Mac handed her some bread to feed the ducks in the pond with.

Harm finished up his phone call with Pablo, and looked outside towards the rose garden where Mac and Mattie were sitting on the swing. They looked like they were having a pretty serious discussion. He smiled when Mac put her arm around Mattie and hugged her, both of them laughing. Smiling, he put the checkbook back into the desk drawer and closed it, before heading out to join them.

Walking towards the rose garden, he smiled at them when he got there. "Who's up for ice cream?" he asked.

Mac and Mattie looked at each other, grinning broadly, and then they both raised their hands.

"Maybe we can watch a movie tonight when we get back?" Mattie asked.

Harm laughed. "Okay, then, let's go."

They went to the local ice cream parlor, which was only a few blocks away, and then headed back to the house.

Mattie scanned through their collection of DVD's, finding a movie she hadn't seen before and putting it into the DVD player. Then she settled into the chair near the couch in the family room, and pushed 'play' on the remote. Harm and Mac were sitting on the couch, and Harm had his arm around Mac.

Mattie had picked a comedy, and they watched it, laughing and making comments about the silliness of it. When the movie ended, Mattie stood, putting the DVD back into its case, and then walking over to the sofa. "Good night," she said, hugging first Harm, and then Mac.

"Good night, Mattie," Mac said, smiling.

"Good night," Harm said. "Sweet dreams."

"You, too," Mattie said, stopping just long enough to put the DVD back on the shelf where she'd gotten it.

Mac and Harm watched as she climbed the stairs towards the guest bedroom.

"She's a good kid," Mac said softly.

Harm smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Yeah, she really is," he replied, before taking a deep breath. "You ready for bed?"

"Yeah, but I've got a doctor's note, so I can't," she pouted.

Harm laughed at her. "That's not what I meant," he said.

"I know," Mac sighed. "This is going to be the longest week _ever_," she complained.

"Suck it up, Marine," Harm told her. "It's for a good cause. Besides, after we bring Miranda home on Monday, we'll be too tired to notice."

Mac stood, waiting for him to join her. "I still can't believe she's coming home," she said, as Harm put his arm around her and they started up the stairs.

"I know," Harm said. "Pretty amazing, huh?"

Mac nodded, as they entered their room and closed the door. "Yeah, it is," she replied.

They quickly got ready for bed, and then snuggled into bed together.

"I love you, Mac," Harm whispered into her hair, as he held her close to him.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

They held each other in silence, just enjoying the feel of being in each other's arms, until they finally drifted off to sleep.

**09:12 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Monday**

Harm and Mac entered the NICU, excited that today was finally the day they'd been waiting for. Today, they got to take Miranda home.

Mac had brought a preemie-sized 'Onesie™', and a miniature pink dress, to dress her in for the trip home.

Harm had taken the SUV to the local fire station to learn how to properly install the car seat the day before, so that he was sure Miranda would be safe.

Tom had picked Mattie up the night before, promising to bring her back the week of the Fourth.

Toni looked up at the pair, smiling as they entered. "Today's the day," she said.

"Yeah," Mac said, beaming. "Do you know what time she's going to be discharged?"

"No," Toni said, shaking her head. "Dr. Neal needs to come and see her first, and the Pulmonologist wants to speak with you about her oxygen needs, before she can go."

"She's going home on oxygen for sure then?" Mac asked. They'd been warned that it was likely, so it wasn't a big surprise.

"Yeah," Toni said. "Her lung function is up to nearly a hundred percent, but she still needs a little bit of help, because her O2 sats keep dropping when we take her off of it. It's not uncommon in preemies, and even some full-term newborns," she told them. "The good news is, she's only on three liters of oxygen an hour, so that isn't too bad."

"What about having visitors? We're planning a barbecue for the Fourth, and we're supposed to have a house full of family," Harm told her.

"I'd take it slow for the first week or so… maybe only one or two people a day. By the time the Fourth gets here, it should be fine. You can't keep her in a bubble her whole life; that's not realistic. She's going to get sick, she's going to encounter things that you can't control; that's just the way it is," Toni told them. "Just do the best you can."

Harm and Mac smiled at her, thanking her for the encouragement, as a doctor walked in and picked up Miranda's chart.

"I'm Dr. Denning," he said to Harm and Mac, shaking their hands. "I'm Miranda's pulmonologist." He read over her chart, and then listened to her lungs. Then he checked her oxygen saturation, both with and without the oxygen, before he finally spoke to them.

"I'm going to have Respiratory Therapy bring up a portable oxygen concentrator for you to take home with you," he told them. "Basically, it takes regular room air, and concentrates it into pure oxygen. When you're out, the battery should last about eight hours, so when you're home, you need to keep it plugged into a wall outlet. The RT person who brings it down will explain to you how to operate, and clean it, as well as make arrangements to have it checked and serviced on a regular basis. Do you have any questions for me?" he asked.

"How long will she need oxygen?" Harm asked.

"It's hard to say, but I doubt it will be more than a month, maximum," he told them. "Three liters isn't much at all, and her lungs are getting stronger everyday."

"What about the flammability of oxygen?" Mac asked. "Do we need to take any special precautions in that regard?"

He smiled. "While it's true that oxygen is flammable, it isn't likely to explode like you see in the movies, with the little amount that escapes into the air. Just keep Miranda away from open flames, and it will be fine," he assured them. "You will have to place a placard in a couple of your windows to alert visitors, and the fire department, of oxygen in use in your home, but those are really just a safety precaution; it's doubtful you'll ever have to worry about it."

Harm nodded, and then looked at Mac. When she shook her head, he smiled at the doctor. "That should cover it, thank you," he said, extending his hand again.

"My pleasure," he told them. "I'll want to see her in two weeks; Toni will make sure the information is in the discharge papers."

"Yes, sir," Harm replied.

They watched as the doctor moved to the other preemie in the NICU, who was on the other side of the room, before turning their attention back to Miranda.

"One down, one to go," Mac murmured, gently caressing her tummy.

**11:48 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital NICU**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac sat in the wheelchair, the portable oxygen concentrator hanging from the back, as Toni handed Miranda to her, smiling.

The tech from Respiratory Therapy had come shortly after Dr. Denning had left, and had showed them how the machine worked, how to clean the filters, and explained the whole thing to them. They had been surprised at how truly easy it was.

After he'd left, Mac had nursed Miranda, and Harm had taken all of the things they'd collected in the NICU to the SUV, wanting to have as little to worry about as possible when it was time to leave. The only thing he'd kept close, was the camera.

Dr. Neal had come to do a thorough exam about forty-five minutes ago, and had declared that Miranda was healthy enough to go home. After telling them she wanted to see Miranda in one week, she said her goodbyes, and then had left.

Toni had quickly gotten all of the paperwork finished, had them sign the necessary forms, and then had gotten a wheelchair for Mac to sit in.

"All set?" she asked, knowing that it was silly to ask.

"Absolutely!" Mac told her.

Harm snapped a picture, and then followed them down.

A light breeze had picked up, so Mac covered Miranda with her blanket, as they waited for Harm to bring the SUV around. As soon as he arrived and hopped out of the driver's seat, Mac stood.

Harm opened the back door, and helped Mac into the backseat, watching as she carefully placed Miranda into the car seat, securely strapping her in. She climbed out for just a minute.

"Toni," Mac asked. "Would you please make sure I have the straps adjusted properly?"

Toni smiled and nodded. These two were the most nervous parents she'd ever met. Climbing in, she quickly checked to make sure that Miranda was secured, and then climbed out again. "Perfect," she told them.

They hugged Toni, thanking her for all of the special care they'd given Miranda, and then Mac climbed back into the backseat, accepting the O2 concentrator from Toni, and put her own seatbelt on.

Harm closed the door, again thanking Toni for everything, and then climbed into the driver's seat. "Ready?" he asked Mac.

"Yeah," Mac said, smiling softly down at their sleeping baby girl. "Let's go home."


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: As usual, I want to thank those of you that have responded with such kind, wonderful feedback! It not only makes my day, but it keeps me motivated to keep posting! The lullaby Mac sings in this chapter is a lullaby that's been passed down through my family for generations, and was originally sung in Gaelic… I don't know the title. Enjoy…

**12:56 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm pulled the SUV into the garage and shut off the engine, before climbing out and hurrying around to the back passenger side to open the door for Mac. He held the oxygen concentrator while she carefully unbuckled Miranda, and then lifted her out of the car seat, cradling her close.

Mac accepted the concentrator from Harm, slinging it over her right shoulder, while she tenderly cradled Miranda in her left arm.

"I'll be right there," Harm told her. "You got it okay?"

Mac nodded. "Yeah, we're fine," she said, walking towards the door that led into the house. She opened the door and walked into the family room, setting the concentrator on the floor beside the sofa, and sitting down. "We're home," she cooed to Miranda.

Miranda barely stirred, settling back in to sleep, and Mac smiled at her.

Harm came in and set the bags he'd carried on the kitchen island counter, before walking over to them. He smiled when he saw Miranda sleeping peacefully, then went to get the camera again.

"Smile, Mommy," he said, though there was no need, for Mac was still beaming. He snapped the picture, and then put the camera on the side table, before sitting beside her.

They sat in silence for awhile, just watching Miranda sleep peacefully. Finally, Harm spoke.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "We haven't eaten since breakfast."

Mac shrugged. "I'm not really, but I need to eat _something_, since I'm nursing," she told him. "Would you like me to make lunch?"

"No, you just sit and relax; I've got it," he told her.

She smiled at him, and then turned her attention back to Miranda, who was starting to wake up. She watched as Miranda opened her eyes, blinking several times, and then looked around, before a deep frown furrowed her brow. Then she crinkled her nose, squeezing her eyes shut, and she opened her mouth, letting out a small cry.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mac said to her, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

Miranda let out another soft cry, and her lower lip started trembling.

"Oh!" Mac said, surprised; she'd never seen this before. "Shh… it's okay," she said, lifting her up and holding Miranda against her chest.

Miranda began to cry in earnest, so Mac checked her diaper. When she determined that the diaper wasn't the culprit, she cradled her in her arms and opened the flap on her nursing bra, before lifting her shirt up, and putting Miranda to the breast. Miranda latched on quickly, and her cries immediately quieted.

Harm moved over to the sofa, handing Mac a plate with a tuna sandwich, and some fresh veggies. "She's hungry, huh?" he asked, smiling.

"Apparently," Mac said, smiling at him in return.

They ate their sandwiches, while Mac nursed Miranda, stopping only long enough to change Miranda to the other side. After she'd finished eating, Harm picked up their dishes, carrying them to the kitchen and putting them into the dishwasher.

Mac was just finishing nursing when he returned to the sofa.

"How about I take her upstairs and change her?" he asked Mac.

Mac smiled, realizing that Harm hadn't gotten to hold her since they'd been home. "That'd be great," she told him. "Thanks."

Harm carefully took Miranda from her, and cradled her against his chest, murmuring soothingly to her. He put the oxygen concentrator over his shoulder, and then he carried her upstairs.

Mac stood and put the items on the kitchen island away, and then went upstairs. Harm had taken off his shirt, and Miranda's dress, and laid down on the bed, Miranda stretched out on his chest. One hand was covering her, and he had his eyes closed, his lips occasionally brushing against the top of her head.

Smiling, Mac moved over to them, kneeling beside the bed. "I'm going to take a bath," she told Harm.

"Mmmhmm," he replied.

"Call if you need me," she told him.

"I will," he said.

"Don't fall asleep; she might fall off," Mac said, smiling.

"I've got her Mac," he said. "Go relax for awhile."

Mac kissed Miranda's forehead first, and then she kissed Harm's lips tenderly. "You're such a good daddy," she told him, standing and moving to the bathroom.

Harm smiled, perfectly content. This was what he'd been missing his whole life.

**17:36 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac was again sitting on the sofa in the family room, nursing Miranda. Miranda was eating every two hours, almost like clockwork, and Mac was finding it was more taxing on her physically, than she had thought it would be.

The doorbell rang, and Harm looked up from his book, frowning. "Are we expecting someone?" he asked.

Mac shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of," she said, pulling the blanket over her.

Harm stood, making his way towards the door. He looked out the side window, surprised to see Admiral Chegwidden. He opened the door, smiling. "Sir, I wasn't aware you were coming," he said, opening the door wider. "Please, come in."

"Ah, jeez, Harm," the Admiral said. "Call me AJ when we're not in uniform." He held up a couple of bags. "Where would you like these?" he asked.

"Um, sir, you _are_ in uniform," Harm pointed out. Indicating the bags, he looked confused. "What's in those?" Harm asked, motioning him towards the family room.

"Dinner," AJ told him. "Jennifer has arranged for someone to bring you dinner every night for the next seven days," he said. "I'm first on the list."

"You didn't have to go to all of that trouble," Mac said, smiling at him, as they entered. "But, thank you; we appreciate it."

AJ nodded, setting the bags on the kitchen island counter. "My pleasure, Mac," he told her.

Harm indicated that he should take a seat. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked.

"No, thanks," AJ told him. "So, how has the first day home been?" he asked.

"Busier than I expected," Mac told him. "This little lady has quite an appetite, and she's eating about every two hours. Between taking care of her, and fielding phone calls from friends and relatives, we've been pretty occupied."

AJ smiled, nodding. "It should settle down after a few days," he told her.

Mac felt that Miranda had stopped nursing, so she carefully moved her, fixing her clothing while still covered, and then moved the blanket, putting Miranda up on her shoulder. She rubbed her back until she heard the soft burp, and then smiled at AJ. "Would you like to hold her?" she asked.

"I'd love to," he said, grinning broadly.

Harm handed him Miranda's blanket. "Better cover the uniform sir, just in case," he told him.

AJ nodded in agreement, remembering when little AJ had initiated him into the family by spitting up all over him. As soon as the blanket was in place, he accepted Miranda from Mac, who handed her over carefully. "She's gotten bigger since the first time I saw her," he noted.

"Yeah," Harm said. "She about doubled in size from when she was born."

"Are you coming to our Independence Day barbecue?" Mac asked.

"I wouldn't miss it," he told her.

Harm picked up the camera. "Okay, sir, everyone gets a picture with her," he said. "Smile."

AJ looked at Harm, his usual gruff scowl melting into a wide grin, as Harm snapped the photo. "Happy?" he asked.

Harm checked the image on the LCD display, and then smiled, nodding. "Yes, sir."

Mac chuckled, shaking her head at her husband.

"Well, I need to get going," AJ announced after a short time. "I'll leave you two to your dinner, and I'm sure you need to get this little lady ready for bed soon."

Mac smiled, as Harm took Miranda from him. "Thank you, again, Admiral."

"Like I said, it was my pleasure, Mac," he said. "I'll see you both soon."

Mac walked him to the door, giving him a brief hug. "I wish my dad had been like you," she said softly.

Not knowing how to respond to that, AJ just smiled and nodded. "Good night, Mac."

"Good night, AJ," Mac said, watching as he climbed into his SUV and drove away.

**03:14 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Miranda's soft cries woke Harm, and he rolled over. He felt Mac already moving.

"I'll get her," Mac said, moving over to the cradle. She leaned over and gently picked her up, holding her close.

"Shh, it's okay," she murmured softly, laying her on the changing table. She turned on the small light they had above the changing table, so she could see to change her diaper, and then flipped it off again and picked her up, sitting in the rocking chair at the foot of the cradle.

Moving Miranda into position, she opened the flap on her nightgown and got her to latch on, sighing when it got quiet again.

Before they'd gone to bed, Harm had put the longer tubing on Miranda's concentrator, so that they could move around the house without taking it with them from room to room. Mac was glad that Harm had thought of it, as moving it around while juggling an infant, was proving to be a challenge.

She sat quietly, listening to the soft sounds in the room. Harm's quiet breathing, the noise Miranda made as she suckled at her breast, the sound of the crickets coming from outside the slightly opened window, and the quiet noise of the oxygen concentrator.

Mac smiled, perfectly content. This is what she'd been missing her whole life.

**05:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac became instantly alert, as she realized that Miranda was crying again.

"I'll get her, Mac," Harm said, sitting up. "You were up with her all night."

"Yeah, but I have to nurse," she said.

"At least let me change her first," he told her. "You can nurse lying down."

Mac smiled at him. "Thanks."

He moved over to the cradle, carefully lifting her out. "It's okay, princess," he murmured softly. "Let's get you changed, shall we?" He placed her on the changing table, and quickly changed her diaper, before lifting her and carrying her to where Mac was lying in the bed.

Placing Miranda beside Mac, he watched as Mac moved so that she could nurse her while still lying down, before he went back to his side of the bed and crawled back in. He turned so he was facing them, smiling as he allowed Miranda to curl her tiny fist around one of his fingers.

Mac looked into his eyes, as Miranda's other fist curled around one of her fingers, and smiled at him. "This is nice," she murmured.

"It sure is," he replied. "We're going to have to work out a schedule for our morning runs," he told her. "I don't want to use the Snugli™ and bounce her all around."

"We could look into buying a jogging stroller," she told him. "I'm sure we can find one that will protect her, and we can take turns pushing her."

"Okay," he said. "What about today? Do you even feel up to going, since you were pretty much up all night with her?"

Mac sighed. "Why don't you go ahead and go whenever you're ready, and I'll decide when you get back?"

"Sounds good to me," he said, smiling. "Will you be okay if I go now?"

Mac returned his smile. "We'll be fine."

Nodding, Harm leaned forward enough to kiss her lips quickly, and then kissed Miranda's forehead. "I'll be back in awhile." He climbed out of bed, and went to dress for his morning run.

Mac watched Miranda as she was eating, smiling down at her and murmuring softly. When it was time, she switched sides, and then continued to lightly stroke Miranda's cheek, head, and hands, all the while watching her.

When Miranda was finished, and had fallen back to sleep, Mac carefully moved out of the bed and picked her up, placing her back into the cradle. She traced the hand-carved patterns in the headboard, and then wound the matching mobile above, listening to the soft melody play, humming along.

When Harm returned, he found Mac standing beside the cradle, gently making it rock back and forth, singing with the mobile above. He smiled as he listened to her beautiful, clear voice.

"Softly, gently, come let me hold you; rainbows and white clouds will carry your dreams

Softly, gently, come let me love you; raindrops and roses will sing you to sleep

Close your eyes and sleep, baby

And I will keep you close to me

Sleep sweet child and never fear

Rest assured your mommy's near

Softly, gently, come let me hold you; rainbows and white clouds will carry your dreams

Softly, gently come let me love you; raindrops and roses will sing you to sleep."

The music continued to play softly, but Mac had stopped singing, her eyes filled with tears. She lightly rubbed Miranda's cheek, leaning forward and kissing her lovingly. "I love you," she whispered.

She stood and turned, surprised to find Harm behind her, leaning against the door frame. "How long have you been there?" she asked.

Harm shrugged. "A couple of minutes… that was beautiful, Mac," he told her, moving close and pulling her into his arms, and kissing her tenderly.

"Thanks," Mac said, somewhat self-consciously.

"Is that the lullaby your dad used to sing to you?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "Yeah; though I replaced 'daddy' with 'mommy' for my version," she said, smiling at him.

Harm just nodded, holding her close for a few moments. He finally released her. "Did you feel like going for a run this morning?" he asked.

Mac sighed. "No… not today. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to try and get a few more hours of sleep."

Harm kissed her forehead. "Of course I don't mind." He took her hand and moved her towards the bed, waiting until she was settled. "I'm going to go take a shower," he told her. "Just rest for awhile; I'll take care of breakfast."

Mac nodded. "Thank you," she said, yawning.

Harm smiled. When he reached the bathroom door, he turned back to look at her, noting that she was already sound asleep.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the great feedback! It is welcome, and greatly appreciated! Enjoy…

**15:27 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Friday**

Harm sat in a chair in the exam room, holding Miranda and feeding her a bottle of breast milk, while watching Mac carefully. She'd hardly gotten any sleep since Miranda had come home, and today was the first day she had finally agreed to allow him to use some of the stored breast milk to feed her by bottle, and help her out.

Dr. Neal came into the room and smiled at them both, her smile faltering a bit when she saw how exhausted Mac looked. "How are things going?" she asked.

"Great," Mac told her.

"How often is Miranda eating?" she asked. "Her weight is up another nine ounces, which is great. That means she's gaining a little less than two ounces a day."

"She's nursing about every two hours," Mac told her.

"That explains why you look so exhausted," she said, nodding. "Do you let Harm help you by feeding her a bottle, often?"

Mac shook her head. "No… I usually nurse her myself."

"Ah," she said. "A word of advice Mac; let Harm help. The whole point of the two of you taking the full twelve weeks of family leave, is to allow you to help each other adjust to the demands of caring for an infant. It won't do Miranda any good if you exhaust yourself to the point where you end up in the hospital."

Mac looked at Harm, expecting to see an 'I told you so' look on his face, but only saw love and concern. She smiled tiredly at Dr. Neal, and nodded. "I understand," she said.

"Good," Dr. Neal said, smiling. "Now, let me check out your little girl."

Harm laid Miranda on the exam table, and watched as Dr. Neal examined her thoroughly. After she'd checked her over, she nodded to him. "You can get her dressed again," she told him. She turned her attention back to Mac. "Has she seen Dr. Denning?"

"Yeah," Mac replied. "We saw him before we came here. He lowered her setting on the oxygen, and said he'll probably take her off of it next week."

"That's good news," she said. "Well, she's doing great," she told them. "I want to see her next week, and she'll get her first vaccinations then, too."

Mac looked surprised. "So soon?"

"Actually, if she had been full-term, this would be late. The sooner we start her on her vaccinations, the better," she said.

"Okay," Mac said, nodding.

"Well, unless you have any questions for me, I'll let you go," Dr. Neal said.

Mac and Harm exchanged a look, and then Mac shook her head at the doctor. "No, I think everything's okay."

"Good; we'll see you next week, then," she told them, turning and leaving the exam room.

"Are we ready?" Harm asked, handing Miranda to her, while he picked up the oxygen concentrator and shouldered it.

"Yeah," Mac said, smiling tiredly at him.

"Good then, let's go home," he said.

**17:38 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac was sitting on the sofa, nursing Miranda, when the doorbell rang. "Dinner's here," she told Harm, smiling as she tossed the blanket over her. "I wonder who has the 'honor' tonight?"

Harm walked to the front door and peered out the side window. Opening the door, he smiled. "Sturgis, Varese!" he said. "Come on in." He opened the door wider, and allowed them entrance.

"We brought you dinner," Varese said, holding up a casserole dish. "Where would you like this?"

Harm took the dish from her, and led them into the family room. He motioned to the bags Sturgis carried. "You can set them on the counter," he told his friend.

"So, how is life as a parent?" Sturgis asked, as he eyed Varese, who moved over to the sofa to sit beside Mac.

"Exhausting," Harm smiled broadly. "But we wouldn't trade it for anything. Can I get either of you anything to drink?" he asked, indicating that Sturgis should sit down.

"A beer would be great if you have it," Sturgis said.

"Nothing for me, thank you," Varese replied. "So, Mac, what's it like being a mommy?"

Mac smiled. "Like Harm said, it's exhausting. But it's also fulfilling, and fun, and the best thing I've ever done. I can honestly say that I've finally found something that I'd be willing to give up my career in the Corps for."

Harm looked at her sharply, a questioning look on his face, but decided not to broach the topic with company.

"You're leaving the military?" Varese asked, trying to figure out what Mac was doing under the blanket. She smiled when Mac moved the blanket to reveal Miranda, and her clothes were straightened out.

"I don't know, yet," Mac told her. "At this point, I'm considering it; I don't have to make a decision right away. Would you like to hold her?" she asked.

"Of course I would!" Varese said, grinning broadly.

Sturgis watched with raised eyebrows, as Mac instructed Varese to put the blanket over her clothing, and then carefully handed the tiny infant to her. "She's really small, isn't she?" he commented.

"That's usually the first thing people notice," Mac smiled.

"They're always surprised to find out that she's much bigger than she was when she was born," Harm added. "She weighed less than three pounds then, and she's over six now."

Sturgis let out a whistle. "She has grown considerably, then."

Mac stood and grabbed the camera. "Okay, Uncle Sturgis," she said. "Take a seat next to Auntie Varese… everyone gets a picture with Miranda."

Sturgis set his beer on the table beside the chair, and then moved to sit beside Varese on the sofa. He put his arm around her, and they looked towards Mac."Smile!" she said brightly, snapping a picture. She checked the LCD image, and then nodded. "Perfect."

Sturgis stood and quickly finished off his beer, taking the bottle to the kitchen and tossing it in the trash. "We should go," he told them.

"You don't want to hold her?" Varese asked him.

"Ah… not this time," he said, smiling. "I'll wait until she's a bit bigger."

Harm grinned at his old friend, shaking his head. "She's not going to break."

"Maybe not, but I'll feel better," Sturgis said, returning the grin. "We'll see you guys next weekend."

Harm shook his hand, and Mac hugged them both, taking Miranda back from Varese, before they walked with them to the front door, Mac checking the trailing oxygen line to be sure it didn't snag or kink.

"Thank you both, very much, for dinner," Mac said.

"No problem," Sturgis said.

"It was our pleasure," Varese said, smiling.

Harm and Mac stood and watched as they climbed into Sturgis' car, and then pulled out of the driveway.

"Think they'll get married?" Mac asked, as Harm closed the door.

Harm shrugged. "Who knows? I think if Sturgis were ever to marry anyone, though, Varese would be the one."

He looked at Miranda, surprised she was still awake. "Should we put her in the swing while we eat?" he asked.

"Yeah," Mac said, moving towards the family room, while making sure she didn't trip on the oxygen line. She placed her into the swing, which had been moved to the family room, and turned it on.

"I need to reheat this casserole," Harm told her. "Why don't you relax for a bit, and I'll get dinner served?"

Mac smiled at him, walking over to kiss him. "Today is day seven," she said, waggling her eyebrows at him, her arms around his neck.

"Mac!" Harm said, shaking his head, while grinning. "You're exhausted; I thought you'd want to get some sleep tonight."

"Later," she promised. "But after dinner, we're going to bathe Miranda, and get her settled into bed… and then it's _our_ turn."

Harm kissed her again. "It's a deal. Now, get out of here and let me get dinner."

Mac giggled, and went over to lie down on the sofa. She listened to Harm moving about the kitchen, while her eyes sleepily followed the backwards and forwards motion of the swing Miranda was in. In just a few minutes, she was sound asleep.

**22:06 EST **

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac awoke and looked around, unsure of what had disturbed her. She realized how late it was, and that she was still lying on the sofa, but now she had a pillow under her head, and a light blanket covering her. Realizing the noise she'd heard was Harm moving around in the kitchen, she sat up. "Harm?" she asked.

Harm turned around, Miranda cradled in his left arm, and a bottle held in his right hand. "Mac… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said.

Miranda let out another soft cry, and he looked down at her.

"Since you're awake, did you want to feed her? You missed a feeding already," he said. "I can bottle feed her if you'd rather just use the breast pump."

"No," Mac said, holding her arms out. "I can feed her." She accepted Miranda from him, opening her blouse and bra, before helping Miranda to latch on.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" she asked.

Harm smiled. "I tried," he told her. "You were really out, so I let you sleep. I ate, gave Miranda a bath, fed her, and put her to bed," he said. "Then I cleaned up the kitchen, and made sure you were comfortable, before I went up to sleep for a couple of hours myself. I just woke up a few minutes ago, when I heard Miranda crying."

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"Don't be, Mac," he replied, sitting beside her on the sofa and caressing her hair. "You were completely exhausted, and I was happy to do it." He kissed her lips softly.

"Thank you," she told him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said. "Are you hungry? I can heat up the plate I put aside for you."

Mac nodded. "Yeah, but I'll wait until after I've finished feeding Miranda," she told him. "It's kinda hard to eat one-handed."

Harm chuckled, nodding. He sat with her and watched while Miranda nursed, smiling at how beautiful the sight was, and talking quietly with Mac.

When Miranda had finished nursing, and had fallen back to sleep, Harm took her from Mac and carried her upstairs to put her back to bed.

Mac had just finished fixing her clothes, and had moved to the kitchen to retrieve the plate from the refrigerator, when Harm returned.

He sat at the island, watching as she heated the food up. "There's salad in there, too, if you'd like some."

"No, this is fine for now, thanks," Mac told him. The microwave beeped, and she took the plate out, careful not to burn herself, and then sat beside him at the counter. "Did you talk to Pablo today?" she asked him, as she started to eat.

"Yes; and the check to pay off the house went through, as did the one to pay our 'full coverage' insurance policy on the house for the year," he replied. "Also, I paid off your 'vette, and insured that, and the SUV, for the whole year," he told her.

"I thought we were getting rid of the 'vette?" she asked.

"If you really want to, Mac, but there's no reason you can't keep it, and buy a safer car for driving Miranda around in," he told her. "It's not like we can't afford it."

"Are you keeping yours?" she asked.

"I had planned to," he answered.

She smiled. "His and hers Corvettes… hmm. Okay, I'll hang onto mine, too. Where are we going to store all of these cars? Our garage only has room for three."

"There's some land for sale nearby, so I was thinking of purchasing it to build a storage unit on," he told her. "We can store our cars, and whatever other 'toys' we decide to buy, in that."

"Toys?" Mac asked, suspicious.

"I'm not thinking of anything particular at this point, Mac," he assured her. "Just giving us the option."

She smiled at that. "Okay; I can agree to that much, then. Go ahead and buy the lot, and find out what you need to do to build on it. How far away is it?" she asked.

"Well, you know the dirt road that cuts off just before we turn onto our street?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"If you take that road, it goes out behind our house, and the neighbors, too, I think. Anyway, the lot starts at the dirt road, and comes all the way to our back fence," he told her.

"How much land are we talking?" she asked.

"Fifty acres," he said, smiling when her eyes widened. "Yeah. We could extend this property out as far as we wanted, maybe add on to this house later. I was thinking we could build the storage unit back close to the dirt road, and pave that, so we have easy access."

"Sounds good to me," Mac said, smiling.

"Good, I'll talk to Pablo about it, then," he said.

"What about the other thing we discussed?" she asked.

He nodded. "I paid off Mattie's mother's house, and had it put in her name, and paid this year's taxes and insurance, " he told her. "And I talked to Tom about giving him a loan to get the business going again… on the condition that he doesn't tell Mattie where it came from."

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He was surprised, and happy. Of course, it did take a little convincing on my part. I had to assure him that it wasn't a handout… we're 'partners', so to speak, for now. When he gets the business going, and can afford to, he can buy me out by paying back the loan, with a small amount of interest."

"And if it fails?" Mac asked, as she stood and rinsed her plate, putting it into the dishwasher.

Harm shrugged. "That's the risk you take when you make an investment," he said. "I didn't bring it up with him, but if it fails, I won't expect him to pay it back. I'm doing this for Mattie; I know how much that business meant to her."

Mac walked over and wrapped her arms around him, nodding. "I love you," she said, kissing him deeply.

Harm returned her kiss, his muscles tightening as he fought to control himself.

Mac pulled away and looked into his eyes. "What is it?" she asked.

"Aren't you still tired?" he asked.

She smiled. "A bit," she conceded. "But I want you more than sleep right now."

"Are you sure, Mac?" he asked. The look she gave him made his insides churn.

"I'm sure," she said, pulling him in for another kiss.

"Well, in that case," Harm said breathlessly, as they parted. "I suppose we can sleep a little later tomorrow." He picked her up and carried her up the stairs.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: Everyone still with me? Good! As usual, THANK YOU for the great feedback; it really is appreciated! Enjoy…

**11:13 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Following Friday**

Mac had just finished changing Miranda's diaper, when Dr. Neal came into the exam room, smiling at them.

"How are we this week?" she asked, noting that Miranda no longer had the oxygen on. "I see she's off of the oxygen."

Mac smiled, nodding. "We just saw Dr. Denning before we came here, and he took her off of it," she told her. "We have to hang onto the concentrator for awhile, and he gave us an O2 monitor to check her every couple of hours, but as long as her sats stay up, she doesn't need it."

"That's great news," she smiled. "I see she's gained another seven ounces; that's good," she said, reading the chart. "Well, let's have a look at her."

Mac moved out of the way, so Dr. Neal could examine Miranda.

Dr. Neal examined her quickly, and then smiled at them. "She's doing great. She's still gaining weight, but she's not getting to be overweight, and developmentally, she's just where she should be for her age. All in all, I'd say she's as near to perfect as a preemie can be."

Mac smiled brightly. "That's great, thank you."

Dr. Neal nodded. "I'll send Nancy in to administer her vaccinations, and then you can go. I won't need to see her again, unless there's a problem, for two weeks," she told them. "Any questions?"

Harm and Mac shared a look, and then Harm shook his head. "No, I don't think so," he said. "Thank you."

She smiled and nodded, and then left the room.

Mac dressed Miranda in her 'Onesie™', and then smoothed her hand over the top of her head, smiling down at her. "Hey, sweetheart," she said. "How's Mommy's girl, huh?"

Miranda looked up at her, blinking at the bright light.

Nancy came in, smiling at first Harm, and then Mac. "I get to be the bad guy, I'm afraid," she said, indicating the plastic tray she held. She quickly explained the vaccinations to them, the possible side effects, and any warning signs to watch for.

Then she had Mac sign the consent forms, and gave them Miranda's new shot record. "You'll need to bring that to all of her future doctor's visits," she told them.

Harm looked at it, nodding. "Thank you," he said, placing it into the diaper bag.

"Okay, now the hard part," she said, moving over to Miranda. She quickly administered the vaccines, and winced when Miranda started crying. "I'm sorry, angel," she said. Looking at Mac, she nodded. "Okay, Mommy," she said.

Mac picked up Miranda, cuddling her close. "Shh… it's okay, sweetheart," she soothed, looking at Harm with tears in her eyes.

Nancy smiled apologetically. "You're all set, when you're ready to leave," she told them. "Take your time." She cleaned up, and then quietly left the exam room.

"Are you okay?" Harm asked, as he saw a tear slip from Mac's eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, moving to where she was gently bouncing Miranda, and speaking softly to her.

"It hurts me that she's hurting," she said, wiping her eyes with one hand. "I feel like such a terrible mother, for letting someone deliberately hurt her!"

"Ah, honey, it's okay," he said. "You know as well as I do that it's necessary."

"I know," Mac said. "It doesn't make it any easier."

She kissed the top of Miranda's head, inhaling her soft scent, as she cuddled her. "It's okay, baby," she said. "I love you."

Miranda was beginning to settle down, so Mac looked at Harm. "We should go ahead and go," she said. "I can nurse her once we get to the car."

Harm smiled, picking up the concentrator, and the diaper bag. "Did you want to finish dressing her?" he asked.

"No," Mac said. "It's pretty warm outside, but if she needs it, I'll just cover her with the blanket," she told him.

Harm nodded, picking up her dress from the examination table and putting it into the diaper bag. "Let's go," he said, moving to the door and opening it for her.

**18:21 EST**

**Whole Foods Market**

**Springfield, VA**

Mac checked off another item from their list, as she accepted the salmon, and the steaks, from the lady behind the butcher's counter, and put it into the cart.

"What's next?" Harm asked, holding the bottle for Miranda with one hand, while he pushed the cart with the other.

"Fruit and veggies," Mac said.

Harm smiled, as he followed her to the produce department. He stood there still holding Miranda's bottle, when a blonde woman walked up to him, smiling.

"Oh! She's so precious!" she gushed, looking at Miranda.

"Thanks," Harm said, smiling at her.

"How old is she?" she asked.

"Um, about a month," Harm replied, noticing that Miranda had finished her bottle. He put it back into the diaper bag, then tossed the 'burp cloth' over his shoulder, and then he tenderly picked her up, smiling at her soft cry, as he began to gently rub her back.

"She's tiny," the woman noted, appreciatively eyeing Harm as he interacted with Miranda.

"Yeah," Harm said, wondering where Mac was. "She was six weeks early," he told her.

"Oh! Well, she looks healthy, now," she said, giving him a flirtatious smile.

Mac came up to the cart. "There you are," she said, smiling at Harm. She noticed the blonde woman, and looked at him with a questioning look.

Harm barely shook his head, giving her a 'help me' look.

Mac tried not to laugh, as she moved to Harm and kissed first him, and then Miranda. "Come see Mommy," she said, and Harm carefully handed her over, taking the list from her.

He looked briefly at the woman, who was eyeing Mac in disbelief. Finally, she sighed in disgust and moved on, and Harm smiled at Mac. "I thought she'd never leave," he told her.

"Don't you know a baby is a chick magnet?" she asked him.

Harm leaned close to her, kissing her tenderly. "I've got the only 'chick' I could ever want," he told her.

"Good answer," she smiled at him.

Harm looked at the list, and then at the cart. "Okay, so we just need to get the melons, and the stuff for the garden salad, right?"

"That's it," she said, still rubbing Miranda's back lightly.

"Good, let's finish this, and then we can head home," he told her. "We have a lot to do before the barbecue on Monday, and the kids are coming in tomorrow."

Mac smiled. "I can hardly wait," she said.

Harm winked at her, pushing the cart towards the aisle the melons were on.

**11:49 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Next Day**

"We brought pizza!" Chloe exclaimed, as she, Harm, and Mattie walked in the side door from the garage.

Mac looked up, making a shushing noise, and pointed at Miranda in the swing nearby, before she stood and walked over to Chloe.

"Oh," Chloe said, eyes wide. "We brought pizza!" she said again, in a loud whisper.

Mac chuckled, as she hugged her. "You silly girl," she said. "I've missed you."

"I missed you, too," Chloe said.

Mac eyed the pizzas, as Mattie opened the boxes, and Harm pulled out some paper plates and napkins. "How was your flight?" she asked Chloe.

Chloe shrugged. "Fine," she said. "So, this is Miranda, huh?" she asked, moving closer to the sleeping infant in the swing. "She's cute! When she wakes up, can I hold her?"

Mac smiled at her. "Of course you can," she said. "She had shots yesterday, so she's been running a little fever, and her leg is sore, I think."

"Oh, the poor thing!" Chloe said. "I hate shots." She looked back towards Harm and Mattie, who were setting their plates on the table in the small dining area. "Oh, let's eat!"

Mac grinned again, as she and Chloe went into the kitchen, and got their pizza, before sitting down at the table with Harm and Mattie.

"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Chloe asked.

"Tonight, Harm's parents and grandmother are coming in, so we probably won't get to do a lot. You and Mattie have the option of camping out in the living room, or setting up the tent and camping in the backyard," Mac told her.

"Can we have a campfire?" Chloe asked.

Harm chuckled. "I bought one of those backyard fire pits, so yes, you can. We also bought the stuff to make s'mores," he said.

"All right!" Mattie said, giving Chloe a 'high five'. "Backyard camping, it is!"

Mac and Harm laughed, sharing a look.

They ate their pizza, and then Mattie offered to clean up, while Mac got up and went to double check that the rooms Harm's family were staying in were completely ready.

Chloe followed her out to the small apartment, looking around while Mac made up the bed. "So, this is where Harmony lived, huh?" she asked. "Next time I come to visit, can I sleep out here?"

Mac smiled. "We'll see," she said.

"Can I help you do anything?" Chloe asked.

"No, I cleaned everything, and stocked the bathroom earlier today, so I think we're good," Mac told her.

"It's kinda weird, isn't it?" Chloe asked.

"What is?" Mac asked her, smiling.

"Well, you're like my mom, and Harm is like Mattie's dad, so it's like… having a step-sister, and now having a half sister, with Miranda, and suddenly having to share our parents. Kinda weird," she said. "But a nice kind of weird."

Mac chuckled at her. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah, I guess it is kind of like that," she said, finishing making up the bed. "Let's go back in, huh? Miranda should be waking up soon."

"Cool! Then I can hold her," Chloe said.

"She'll probably want to eat first," Mac told her. "She's usually pretty hungry when she first wakes up."

"Okay," Chloe said.

Sure enough, when they got back inside the main house, Miranda was awake, and was vocally proclaiming her dissatisfaction. Harm was holding her, wincing as her cries grew steadily louder.

"Here, I'll take her," Mac said, walking over to him. "You should have come and got me."

"I knew you were coming back soon," he told her. "I just didn't expect her to get so loud. She's definitely getting stronger."

Mac nodded, as she, too, winced at how loud Miranda was suddenly getting. "Okay, okay, I'm here… hold on," she said, as she sat on the sofa. Reaching under her shirt, she undid the clasp of her nursing bra and then lifted her shirt enough to allow Miranda to latch on. It immediately grew quiet again.

"Wow," Chloe said, as she watched Mac nursing Miranda. "She can really get loud."

Mac smiled at her. "Actually, she's never been that loud before," she told her. "That surprised me." She looked at Harm. "Did you change her first?"

Harm nodded. "Yeah. I put a cool cloth on her leg, since it was a tad bit swollen, and a little warm to the touch. I don't think it's serious, but we need to watch it."

Mac frowned, nodding to him. "Okay."

Mattie came down the stairs, and looked at Chloe. "Hey, Chloe, feel like helping me get Grammy's room ready?"

Chloe nodded to Mattie. "I'll be right there." Then she looked at Mac. "Promise you'll call me when I can hold her?" she asked.

Mac smiled at her. "I promise."

"Great! See you in awhile," she said, jogging up the stairs.

"I don't know what's more tiring, having a newborn, or keeping up with two teenage girls," Harm told her, grinning when she nodded in agreement.

**18:36 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm had just finished helping the girls set up the tent in the backyard, when Mac opened the back door.

"Your folks are here," she said, smiling.

Harm, Mattie, and Chloe headed for the house. They walked into the living room, just as Mac was opening the front door.

"Mac!" Trish Burnett said, hugging her daughter-in-law. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm fine, Trish," Mac replied. She hugged the elder Sarah Rabb. "Grammy! How are you?"

"Oh, just plugging along," she replied, smiling. "Where is that great-granddaughter of mine?" she asked, as Mac hugged Frank and greeted him.

"Gee, nice to see you, too," Harm said, grinning.

"Harmon!" His mother and grandmother said at once, as he moved to hug each of them.

When they saw Chloe and Mattie, they moved to hug them both, as well.

"How are our other granddaughters?" Trish asked. "We did, of course, come bearing gifts," she grinned.

Chloe smiled at Mac. "I love having grandparents," she said, as they both hugged Frank.

Miranda's cries could be heard from upstairs on the baby monitor attached to Mac's pants at her hip, and Harm looked at Mac. "I'll get her," he said, quickly moving out of the room.

"She's not due to eat for another hour," Mac said, frowning slightly. "I think she's hurting from the shots she got yesterday," she told them.

"Oh, the poor thing," Trish said.

"Let's move into the family room," Mac said, motioning them through. "Everyone have a seat; can I get you anything to drink?"

Frank and Trish both declined.

"I'll just have water, please," Grammy said.

Mac pulled out a bottle of water, and poured it into a glass, handing it to her just as Harm came down the stairs carrying Miranda.

"Oh, there's our angel!" Trish said, smiling and standing.

Harm smiled at his mother, carefully turning Miranda so everyone could see her. "I think Grammy should get the first honor, don't you?" he asked his mom.

Trish nodded. "Absolutely!"

Harm walked over, handing Miranda over to his grandmother. He smiled, as he watched her cuddle the tiny girl close to her.

"Oh, Harmon, Mac, she's beautiful," his grandmother said. She held her close, kissing her head gently.

Mac had the camera ready, and she snapped a photo, smiling as she saw the picture on the LCD screen.

Once Trish and Frank had their chances to hold Miranda, and had their pictures taken with her, Mac took her upstairs to feed her, while Harm got everyone settled into their rooms.

Then he they all went to sit in the family room.

"Anyone have any special requests for dinner?" Harm asked.

"Pizza!" Chloe said.

Harm laughed at her. "We had pizza for lunch," he told her.

"We're teenagers, Harm, we could eat pizza three meals a day, seven days a week," Mattie told him.

"Not on my watch," he said, smiling.

"We saw a little restaurant nearby, if you feel like going out," Frank said.

"Let me go ask Mac," he said, standing and climbing the stairs. He found her sitting in the rocking chair, humming softly to a sleeping Miranda.

"Frank wants to know if you feel up to going out to dinner," he said, kneeling beside the rocker. "I think he's talking about the one across from the ice cream place."

Mac looked down at Miranda. "I guess she could sleep in her car seat while we eat," she said. "I just don't want to keep her out too late; she's still been running a low fever."

Harm nodded. "Okay. You get ready to go, and I'll let the rest of the family know, before I come up and help you with Miranda."

Mac smiled, accepting the kiss he gave her just before he went back downstairs.

Once downstairs, he smiled at the family. "Mac agreed, so I guess we're going out. I'm going to help her get Miranda ready," he told them. "We'll be ready in about ten minutes."

"That's fine, Harm," Frank said.

Trish watched him go upstairs, smiling. "I've never seen him so happy," she said.

Sarah looked at her, smiling. "It's his girls, Trish," she told her. "Mac, Mattie, Chloe, and Miranda… it's all he's ever wanted; a family of his own to love and care for."

Ten minutes later, they watched as Harm and Mac came down the stairs, Mac carrying Miranda, and Harm carrying the diaper bag.

"Let's go," Harm said, smiling at everyone.

They all filed out through the living room towards the cars, but Frank paused for a moment, noticing a photo on the fireplace mantle for the first time.

It was a photo of him, Trish, and Harm, taken on a family vacation when Harm was fourteen. They were sitting at a restaurant, after having spent the day exploring the Big Island in Hawaii, and all three of them had bright smiles on their faces.

Harm stuck his head in the door. "Dad? You coming?" he asked.

Frank's head whipped around. "What?"

Harm walked back into the house, seeing the picture, and smiling. "I think it's long overdue, and if it's not too late… I'd really like to call you Dad," he said softly, looking at the man who had been so important, yet so unappreciated, in his life.

Frank swallowed back his tears. "I'd be honored, Son."

Harm smiled, hiding his own tears. "C'mon; Mac gets really grumpy when she's hungry, and heaven forbid we stall feeding those teenagers."

Frank laughed. "I hear you," he said, as they walked out the front door.

Harm paused just before he closed the door, his eyes widening. He could have sworn he saw his father standing beside the fireplace. His dad nodded once, smiling at him, before he winked and gave him a 'thumbs up', and disappeared.

Smiling, Harm closed the door and locked it, before heading towards the car.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Had another rough day today, so I didn't get this out as early as I wanted to. Thanks, again, for all of the terrific feedback! It keeps me motivated! Enjoy…

**10:22 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Next Day**

Harm had started working on the yards after his morning run, and had just finished mowing the front lawn. He was wearing his white tank-style t-shirt, and his beige cargo shorts as he worked, and his skin was glistening with sweat. Putting the lawn mower in the driveway, he grabbed the edger, and started on that chore. He didn't see the audience that had gathered across the street.

"Mattie!" Chloe called, waving her hand to indicate that she should come sit beside her.

"What's up?" Mattie asked, as she joined Chloe at the bench seat in the large bay window that was in the living room.

"Look!" she said, pointing towards the group of women that were watching Harm, giggling and talking amongst themselves. "I think some of them are drooling!"

Mattie laughed. "Have you really _looked_ at Harm lately? If he wasn't like a dad to me, I'd probably be drooling, too."

Chloe grinned, nodding. "I know, but still…" she shook her head. "Mac needs to do something about that."

"I need to do something about what?" Mac asked, coming up behind the girls, carrying Miranda.

"That!" Chloe exclaimed, pointing across the street at Harm's audience.

Mac looked out and laughed. "Oh my," she said. "He has gathered quite a following, hasn't he?"

"You'd better do something, before they start bringing him food or drinks," Chloe said.

Mac laughed again. "Chloe…"

Mattie looked at her, nodding. "She's right, Mac. You need to make sure they know who he belongs to."

"I'll go get the iced tea! You two keep watch!" Chloe exclaimed, racing towards the kitchen.

Trish and Sarah came into the living room, nearly being bowled over by the retreating Chloe.

"Sorry!" Chloe said, not stopping.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked.

"Harm has an audience, Grammy, so Chloe's going to get some iced tea for Mac to take out to him, to make sure they know that he's taken," Mattie explained.

Trish and Sarah looked out the window, grinning at each other when they saw what the girls' were talking about.

"Good idea," Trish said, laughing.

Mac looked at the older women, and rolled her eyes, grinning.

Chloe returned, carrying a glass of iced tea. "Here, Mac; take this to him. He's got to be thirsty by now, right?"

Mac chuckled, still holding Miranda in her left arm, while she took the glass of iced tea in her right hand. "Okay, someone open the door for me."

"I'll do it," Chloe said, moving quickly to the front door and opening it for Mac.

Mac winked at her, as she went outside and moved to where Harm was now trimming a hedge with a large pair of clippers. "Hey, honey!" she called. "I thought you might be thirsty."

Harm looked up and smiled widely, setting the clippers aside. He accepted the iced tea from Mac when she got to him, taking a deep swallow, before wiping his brow with his forearm. "Thanks," he said. "It's really going to be hot today."

Mac smiled at him. "Yeah, and it's supposed to be at least as hot tomorrow," she replied, kissing Miranda on the head.

Harm moved so that he was in Miranda's line of sight. "Hi princess," he said, smiling. "How's my girl this morning?" he asked, kissing her forehead. "She looks like she feels better today," he noted.

"So far she hasn't run a fever," Mac agreed. "Hopefully last night was the worst of it. You going to be at this much longer?" she asked, indicating the yard.

"No," he answered. "I just have to trim the hedges and clean up; maybe another hour. I'm going to call Bill and tell him that he and the guys can take over again starting next week," he grinned. "This is just way too much yard for me."

Mac returned his grin, nodding. "I'm okay with that," she said. "I'm proud of you for being able to admit that, too." She leaned forward, kissing him deeply.

Harm kissed her, and then pulled away, giving her the look that made her insides turn to jelly. "Maybe my mom and the others will watch Miranda for us for a few hours, and we can take a bath when I'm done?"

Mac winked at him, kissing him again. "If she's not napping already, I think that would be a great idea," she told him with a smile.

Harm stood up and finished the glass of tea, and then handed the empty glass back to her. "I'd better get busy, then. Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome," she said, using her right arm to steady Miranda, who was bobbing her head back and forth. She walked a few feet away, and then turned and winked at him again, giving him a sultry smile, before heading back inside.

Chloe had raced over to open the door, and closed it as soon as Mac was inside.

"That was totally awesome!" Chloe said. "You should have _seen_ those women!"

"Oh?" Mac asked. "What did I miss?"

"Well, first they all looked shocked when you went outside," Mattie told her. "Probably because you're carrying a newborn, and you look totally fantastic."

Mac smiled at her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Mattie said. "Anyway, they all watched the two of you, talking to each other, and pointing in your direction."

"And then when you guys kissed each other, they all looked completely shocked again, and then they all turned around and went back into the house!" Chloe said. Mac laughed. "Well then, I guess we can safely call that 'mission accomplished'," she said.

"Yes!" Chloe said, as she and Mattie gave each other a high-five. "C'mon, Mattie, let's go watch TV."

Mac laughed as she watched them head towards the family room, shaking her head. Then she turned to Trish and Sarah. "Um, if Miranda's not sleeping when Harm's finished with the yard, would you mind watching her for us for awhile?" she asked, hesitantly.

"We'd love to dear," Trish said. "Do you need to go somewhere?"

Mac looked away and blushed. "Uh, no… we just--"

Trish held up her hand, smiling. "Say no more; we'd be happy to help you with Miranda, so you two can have some time alone. After all, you _are_ still technically newlyweds."

Mac smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you."

**11:42 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm leaned his head against the back of the tub, letting the air jets massage his sore, tired muscles. He ran his palm lightly along Mac's bare arm, and sighed happily.

Mac had fed Miranda, and put her in the swing downstairs. The gentle movement of the swing had put her to sleep, so Mac had made sure she was comfortable, before following Harm upstairs after he'd come in from finishing the yard.

"My mom was probably thrilled when you asked her to watch Miranda for awhile," he commented.

Mac, who's head was resting against his chest, turned it slightly and smiled. "She was, though I was kind of embarrassed that she knew exactly _why_ I wanted her to watch her for us," she said, blushing again.

"You told her?" he asked, shocked.

"Not in so many words," she said. "She managed to guess. But as she said, we are still technically newlyweds."

Harm chuckled. "I keep forgetting that," he said.

"Me, too," Mac said, laughing with him.

"We've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow," Harm told her. "I'm glad to have this time alone with you."

Mac smiled. "Me, too."

"My dad was taking the girls to the mall," Harm told her. "So it will be a bit quieter around here for awhile, at least."

Mac frowned in puzzlement, when he said, 'my dad', but then smiled when she realized who he was talking about. "He's being awfully brave," she said. "Taking two teenaged girls to the mall alone."

"He'll turn them loose, and then go buy a book and sit in the food court and read," he told her. "How do you know?" Mac asked, smiling.

Harm shrugged. "It's what he used to do with Harmony and her friends."

Mac laughed. "Ah."

Harm grabbed the giant sponge, and ran it along Mac's shoulder, down her arm, and then repeated the action on the other side.

"That feels nice," she said, closing her eyes.

They took turns washing each other, and then Harm stood and stepped out of the tub, turning on the shower, and then helping Mac out of the tub. They stepped into the large shower, before washing one another's hair.

After they finished rinsing, Harm turned off the water, and the reached for the big fluffy towels that were hanging on the towel bar. They dried off quickly, and then Harm pulled Mac close, kissing her deeply. "I love you," he said softly, after they broke the kiss.

"I love you, too," Mac said.

Harm kissed her again, and then lifted her into his arms and carried her to their bed.

**13:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac opened the bedroom door, and turned to look back at Harm, smiling softly.

"I'll be right down," he told her.

She nodded, and then walked down the stairs, seeing Sarah holding Miranda and feeding her a bottle. "I figured she'd be getting hungry," she said, smiling.

Trish looked up at her, and smiled. "She actually just woke up," she told her. She could see that Mac seemed much more relaxed, and it made her happy.

Harm came downstairs, and moved to the kitchen, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard, and then pouring himself some iced tea. "Anyone thirsty?" he asked.

When he received negative responses from all three women, he took a long drink of his tea, and then carried the glass to the family room, taking a seat beside Mac on the sofa, and setting his glass on the coffee table.

"I'm making spinach lasagna for dinner tonight, if that's okay with everyone," he said.

Mac smiled at him. "That sounds great," she told him. "Will you need help?"

"I don't think so, but I'll let you all know if I do," he grinned. "There are plenty of helpers around right now."

Mac nodded, as she looked at Trish. "So, how are things at your Gallery?"

"They are going very well," she told her, smiling. "On a gut feeling, I started showing some paintings by a young man that asked me to help him sell his work, and the response has been amazing. His work is extremely in demand right now."

"He's good, huh?" Harm asked her.

"One of the best I've ever come across," she told him.

Harm looked impressed. "Maybe we'll have to come out for a visit, and take a look."

"I'd love that," Trish said.

"How are things going on the farm Grammy?" Harm asked.

"Better now," she told him. "I couldn't believe it when I got the check that Harmony sent me; I thought it was a prank at first. But I used the money to hire some help, and fix the place up, and things are going well. We should have a good crop this Fall."

"Crop?" Harm asked, surprised. "You planted something this year? What?"

"Pumpkins, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and eggplant," she told him. "I'll be sure to save you some."

Harm smiled at her. "I'd like that, thank you."

"Well, this little girl has been changed, fed, and burped," Sarah said. "Would you like to hold her now?" she asked Trish.

"I'd love to," Trish smiled, standing and moving to the chair. She took Miranda from Sarah, and smiled down at her, cradling her close. "Hello there… how is Granma's angel? You're such a pretty girl," she cooed to her.

Harm looked at Mac, smiling. His smile slipped a bit when he saw that her smile wasn't as bright as he was accustomed to seeing. "What is it?" he whispered in her ear.

Mac shrugged, her eyes filling with tears. "I'll tell you later," she promised quietly.

Harm gave her a nod. "I'm holding you to it, Marine," he said.

**00:31 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac stood beside the cradle, gently rocking it back and forth, watching Miranda sleep. Again her eyes filled with tears, as she thought about how grateful she was for this tiny person that she'd been entrusted with, and how she was missing her own mother.

The last time she'd seen her mother, was when her father had passed away. At the time, she'd been trying to deal with her feelings towards her dying father, and hadn't really had the strength, or the energy, to face her feelings towards her mother. She didn't hate her. In fact, the more she'd considered it, the more she'd realized that her mother had done the right thing in leaving Joe Mackenzie. But she was still hurt by the fact that her mother had left her, on her fifteenth birthday, and had never once tried to contact her.

Harm could hear his wife's quiet sniffles, so he climbed out of bed and went to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "You okay?" he asked.

Mac sniffed again, nodding. "Yeah," she said softly.

"Still thinking about your mom?" he asked, recalling the conversation they'd had when they'd gone to bed that night.

Again, she nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it some more?" he asked, kissing her neck softly.

Mac shook her head, placing her hands over his.

Harm just stood there and held her, giving her what strength he could, while they watched Miranda sleep.

After several minutes, Mac turned in his embrace and hugged him. "Thank you," she whispered.

Harm kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome," he told her.

Mac moved her arms up around his neck, and pulled his lips to hers. When they parted, she looked into his eyes. "I love you," she told him.

Harm gave her a warm, tender smile. "I love you, too," he said. "Come back to bed? We have a busy day ahead of us."

Mac gave him a small smile, and then nodded. She went around to her side and climbed in, just as Harm climbed into his side, and then turned so that he could spoon up against her from behind, wrapping his arms around her. She closed her eyes, as she felt his lips brush the back of her neck, and sighed.

Harm held Mac close to him, softly kissing the back of her neck. His mind was on the things they had discussed that night, when they'd first gone to bed.

How Mac was missing her own mother, and the fears that she had about messing up with Miranda, and any future children they ended up with. Her hopes that they may, yet, still have a child together, and her fear that it might never happen.

It had been a good, long, heart-to-heart talk, and he was happy that they were still, at the very core, best friends. Not many people were lucky enough to be married to their best friend.

Pulling her just a little bit closer, he again kissed the back of her neck, and inhaled deeply of her unique scent. "I love you," he whispered, unsure if she was even still awake.

Mac smiled, even as another tear slipped from her eye. She waited until the deep, even cadence of his breathing told her he was asleep, before she lifted his hand to her lips, kissing it tenderly. "I love you, too," she breathed.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: A couple of hours of uninterrupted writing time! Yay! Now you all get another chapter! THANK YOU for the great feedback and wonderful comments! Enjoy…

**15:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**July 4th**

Harm and Mac had returned from their morning run, having left Miranda in the care of Grammy Sarah, and had quickly showered and dressed. Once that was accomplished, Mac had fed Miranda, and had put her in the swing in the family room, while they started preparations for the barbecue that afternoon.

While Mac, Trish, and Sarah had prepared the food, Harm, Frank, Mattie and Chloe had prepared the backyard. First, they'd taken down the tent and stored it in the shed. Then covered awnings were set up to provide shade in some of the spots where no trees were available, and Harm had pulled the grill out of the shed, making sure it was clean and had plenty of propane. Then they'd set up the tables and chairs, and placed the small wading pool Mac had bought for the children out on the grass in the sunshine to warm up some, but still where it could be easily seen from anywhere in the backyard.

After this was accomplished, they put the tablecloths on all of the tables, and then began decorating the area with streamers, balloons, and flags.

They had stopped long enough to eat lunch. Mac had welcomed the help with Miranda, though today she'd been the only one to feed her. Her body was finally adjusting to Miranda's intensive feeding schedule, so she was less tired than she had been in the beginning. Once lunch was finished and cleaned up, everyone finished the final preparations for the barbecue, before getting themselves ready.

The doorbell rang, and Mac's internal clock told her that it was 15:32, so she smiled and went to greet their first guests. Opening the door, she smiled at Admiral Chegwidden, and his daughter, Francesca. "AJ!" she said, hugging him. "Francesca, it's so good to see you again," she said, giving her a warm hug as well.

"I surprised Papa last night, so I hope you don't mind my coming uninvited," Francesca apologized.

"Nonsense! You're welcome here, anytime," Mac assured her. "Come on inside; you're the first to arrive." She led them through the living room, and then to the family room, where she lifted Miranda out of the swing. "Miranda, your Grampa AJ is here," she cooed at the baby girl.

AJ smiled broadly, as Mac handed the tiny girl to him. "Hello there," he said softly. "Look how big you're getting!"

Francesca smiled at her father, as he held the infant close. "She is beautiful," she told Mac. "Papa has told me all about her."

Mac smiled. "She's got pretty much everyone wrapped around her little fingers," she told her. "It's amazing how grown men are reduced to mush, just at the sight of her."

AJ lifted an eyebrow at this comment, but refrained from replying.

The doorbell rang again, and Mac excused herself to go and answer it. This time, it was the Roberts' family.

"Auntie Mac!" Little AJ exclaimed, launching himself at her.

Mac picked up the little torpedo and hugged him. "Hey, you!" she said, grinning. She gave him a quick kiss and set him on the ground, before lifting Jimmy and repeating the ritual. "Hi Bud, Harriet," she smiled at her friends.

"Auntie Mac, we brought our swimsuits! Where are the fireworks?" Little AJ said in a rush.

Mac smiled indulgently at him. "Good thing you brought your swimsuits, since I got that pool we talked about," she told them, kneeling down to their eye level. "You have to promise me that you won't go near it, unless there is an adult outside watching you. I know you two are big boys, but a pool can be pretty dangerous, so you need to be safe."

"We promise," Little AJ told her, looking at his brother. "Right, Jimmy?"

Jimmy nodded. "Pwomise," he agreed.

Mac smiled at them. "Good boys. As for fireworks, we're all going to the big park to watch them later on. Now, why don't you go into the family room? Uncle AJ is here with Francesca."

The boys nodded and raced off to the family room, yelling in excitement at their Uncle AJ, while Mac stood and looked at Bud and Harriet.

"I'm so glad to see you," she told them, hugging them both, and then kissing the twins. "Come on in." She turned her attention towards the family room, when she heard Miranda's distinctive cry.

They walked into the family room to find AJ rocking Miranda back and forth, trying to soothe her.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Mac asked, as she gratefully accepted her from AJ.

"The boys startled her," AJ explained. "I sent them outside with the others."

Mac chuckled, knowing her godsons' over-the-top responses to everything had probably extended to their new 'cousin' as well. She cuddled Miranda close, making soft shushing noises, until Miranda started to settle down.

"I'm sorry about that, Mac," Harriet apologized.

"Don't be; they're just little boys. They don't know any better," she assured her friend.

Harriet smiled at her in thanks. "We should probably get out there to supervise," she told Bud. "Heaven knows what those two are up to."

The doorbell rang again, and Mac told them all to go ahead and go out to the backyard. She carried Miranda with her, as she went to answer the door. This time, it was Jennifer Coates, and the Mattoni family.

After she'd greeted everyone, allowed them all to fuss over Miranda, and escorted them to the backyard, she went back in to answer the door yet again.

It didn't take long, before everyone had arrived, and the party in the backyard was fully engaged.

Mac sat down under one of the awnings with the other women, and watched the children playing in the wading pool. "Your kids' are getting big," she commented to Mrs. Mattoni.

The woman smiled at her. "Yeah; I can't believe how quickly the time goes by. I wish now that I'd stayed home with them when they were little, so I wouldn't have missed out on so many of their milestones."

"Oh, I know," Harriet responded. "With Little AJ and Jimmy, I missed so many things I've gotten to be home for with the twins. The first time they sat up, the first time they crawled; being home has made a huge difference in how much closer I am to my kids now, too. AJ behaves so much better than he used to."

Mac listened to the conversation, as she looked down at Miranda, who'd fallen back to sleep. Smiling, she leaned down and kissed her forehead.

**17:06 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac watched, laughing, as Mattie and Chloe supervised the games that they'd planned for the children to play. Little AJ was currently blindfolded, and swinging a metal baseball bat at a flag-shaped piñata, and Mattie had barely managed to avoid a blow to the kneecaps by the energetic boy. She took her eyes off of the scene long enough to confirm Miranda's whereabouts, who was currently being held by Granma Trish, before she went back to watching the display.

Harm came and sat beside her, handing her a glass of lemonade, before taking a long drink of his beer. "Mattie had better stand back," he chuckled. "I think he's using deadly force with that thing."

Mac grinned at him. "Candy is a serious matter," she told him. "Is the grill hot?"

Harm glanced over to where AJ, and Frank were talking. "Probably, but I wanted to wait until the kids were done with their games."

Mac nodded. "Well, this is the last one; I'll go start bringing out the rest of the food," she said, getting ready to stand.

Harm put his hand on her arm. "It'll keep for a few more minutes," he said, nodding towards the kids. "Jimmy's up; just stay until they're finished."

Mac smiled, nodding, and turned her attention back to the children.

Everyone gasped in surprise, when Jimmy connected hard with the piñata, and the whole thing fell apart. Kids began scrambling for the treats that had fallen to the ground, as Mattie grabbed the bat from Jimmy and took off his blindfold.

"Look, Jimmy!" she exclaimed. "You did it! Get your stuff!"

Jimmy joined the mad dash for the treasure on the ground, laughing along with the others.

Mac was laughing too, and Harm watched her, his eyes shining with love. 'God, she's beautiful,' he thought to himself.

Mac looked in his direction, and she gave him a questioning look. "What?"

Harm smiled, leaning forward to kiss her softly. "I love you," he whispered.

Mac returned the smile. "I love you, too," she responded. "Let's get these people fed."

They stood and Harm followed her towards the kitchen. He accepted the plates that had the fish and steaks pre-seasoned, and carried them out to the barbecue, while Mac began gathering as much as she could carry to take outside.

When she got outside, Trish, who'd handed Miranda over to Sarah, rushed up to help her. "Here, Mac, let me help," she said, taking the large bowl of potato salad from Mac's precarious grasp.

"Thanks, Trish," Mac said, smiling.

Chloe and Mattie came up to them. "Can we help?" Chloe asked.

"If you don't mind," Mac told them. "It's all in the refrigerator."

She and Trish began setting things out, while the girls' went inside to bring out more.

"How does everyone want their steaks?" Harm called.

Before long, dinner was served, and everyone sat around talking, eating, and laughing. After everyone had finished their meal, the men had pitched in to clean up, putting all of the food away.

"Those steaks were amazing, Harm," Bud said.

"The fish was great, too," Mattoni told him.

"Thanks," Harm smiled.

Mac waited about an hour after dinner to serve dessert, which consisted of homemade apple pie, homemade ice cream, and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Then they put away the leftovers, and got everyone ready to leave for the park where they'd be watching the fireworks together.

**20:31 EST**

**West Potomac Park**

**Washington, DC**

Harm was reclining against a tree, while sitting on the blanket they had spread out, Miranda stretched out along his chest. Mac was sitting beside him, as she rested her chin on his shoulder, talking softly to Miranda with a large smile on her face. She had just finished nursing her, and was feeling relaxed and happy.

Their friends and family were likewise spread out on blankets nearby, though some of them had gone to wander around the various vendors that had inevitably gathered in the park for the ensuing celebration.

AJ was sitting nearby, talking with Francesca, when he saw Clayton Webb moving across the park, a determined, angry look on his face. 'Great,' he thought. 'What now?' He watched as the Spook made a beeline for Harm and Mac.

"Sarah!" he said loudly, as he came near them. He cringed at the gentle kiss she gave Harm, just before he had called out.

Mac and Harm both looked up, surprised.

"Clay," Mac acknowledged. She hadn't seen, or heard from, Clayton Webb in nearly a year. Ever since Harm had helped her when Clay had pretended to be dead, allowing an assassin to use her to get to him, and she'd broken off her relationship with him.

"I expected you to be angry with me, maybe never speak to me again, but this--" he said, motioning towards Harm and Miranda. "I didn't think you would be the type to keep my own child from me," he said angrily.

Mac blinked up at him. "What?" she asked, unable to believe her ears.

"Don't try to deny it, Sarah," he said. "She's just the right age. How could you do something so heartless?"

"Now just a minute, Webb," Harm said, his tone warning.

"You stay out of this," he snapped at him. "I bet you're just loving this… raising my child as your own."

Mac stood, getting in Webb's face. "You listen to me, Clayton Webb," she hissed. "I don't know who you think you are, but you have no idea what you're talking about!" She didn't care that people were starting to look in their direction.

Clay grabbed Mac, and the only thing that kept Harm from jumping up and breaking his neck, was the fact that he still held Miranda. Getting to his feet, he held her close to him, trying to ignore her sudden cries, and looking for someone he could hand the baby to and beat the annoying spy to a pulp.

As it turns out, he didn't have to.

AJ saw, and heard, what was happening, and he stood, moving to the group. He was content to let Harm and Mac handle it, until Webb grabbed Mac. Then he went into action, grabbing the man by the shirtfront and pushing him away from Mac, up against a tree.

"You listen to me, Webb," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "Miranda is _not_ your child; Harm and Mac adopted her. Now I suggest you slither off to whatever rock you usually hide out under, and leave them alone," he said, the warning in his tone clear. "If I ever see you around Mac or Miranda again, you'll wish that you really _were_ dead. Do I make myself clear?"

Webb swallowed, and nodded. "Perfectly," he said. When AJ released him, he glared at Harm, and then stalked away. 'This isn't over,' he promised himself.

AJ turned to Mac, who was now standing with one of Harm's arms around her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Mac nodded. "Thank you," she told him.

AJ leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "It's okay, Mac, he's gone," he assured her.

Mac nodded again, taking a deep breath, and then reaching for Miranda. She held the baby girl close, closing her eyes for a minute to try and calm herself, before she started bouncing her gently. "Shh, it's okay," she told her. "Mommy's got you; don't cry."

Frank, Trish, Sarah, Mattie and Chloe all arrived a few minutes later. They saw Mac's distraught expression, as she tried to calm Miranda, and looked at Harm.

"What's going on?" Mattie asked.

Harm looked at them, and shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "It's fine now." He gently led Mac back to where they had been sitting, and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "Why don't you nurse her for a few minutes?" he suggested. "I think she was startled, and she might need the reassurance."

Mac nodded, grabbing the blanket and tossing it over her shoulder, shielding Miranda from view. As soon as Miranda latched on, she relaxed, sighing, and closed her eyes.

"The fireworks are going to start in just a few minutes," Harm told everyone. "Why don't you all get comfortable?"

Mac nursed Miranda just until she fell asleep, and then fixed her clothing and cradled her close, moving the blanket so that it was just covering the infant. She looked up at Harm, who leaned forward and kissed her.

"Don't let him spoil the good day we've had," he told her. "It's over."

Mac gave him a small smile, and nodded. But as the first of the fireworks lit up the sky, she couldn't help but wonder if it really was over.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: Here's another one! As always, thank you, so much, for all of the kind, wonderful feedback! It is appreciated, and it keeps me motivated to keep writing! I am starting a new job as of Monday, but I'm hoping to still be able to post regularly~ bear with me if I don't get to post everyday. Enjoy…

**07:03 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm came downstairs carrying a very unhappy Miranda, and got a bottle out of the refrigerator. "Shh, it's alright," he told her, bouncing her lightly as he put the bottle into the warmer and turned it on.

Trish and Frank chose that moment to come into the house. "Is everything okay?" Frank asked.

Harm shook his head, as he continued to try to soothe Miranda. "Mac didn't sleep at all last night," he told them. "I just finally convinced her to lie down after our morning run, and she had a bath."

Miranda's cries were gaining in both strength and volume, and Harm winced, cradling her in his left arm. When she turned her head and started 'rooting', he sighed.

"I know, you're hungry," he told her in the softer, higher-pitched tone that one uses with an infant. "It's almost ready." He took the bottle from the warmer and shook it up, testing it on his forearm. Deciding it would have to be warm enough, he stuck the nipple into Miranda's mouth.

Miranda sucked on it for a second, and then turned her head away and started crying again.

Frustrated, Harm popped the bottle back into the warmer, and lifted her up so that she was on his shoulder again. "Shh, hush princess," he murmured. "It's okay." He took the bottle out again after a minute, and shook it up and tested it, before trying again.

Still no luck, as Miranda turned her head away and increased in volume.

Harm looked at his parents in near panic."Let me try," his mother requested, accepting the distraught infant from him and holding her close. She took the bottle from him, and tried to give it to Miranda.

Miranda quieted for a few moments, sucking greedily on the bottle before letting out a small wail and trying again. Again, she turned her head away and started crying.

"Maybe she's not hungry?" Harm suggested, taking her back from his mother. "I already changed her, so I don't know what's wrong," he told them.

Mac came downstairs wrapped in a long robe, and moved towards them. "She's not taking the bottle?" she guessed.

"I'm sorry, Hon," Harm said. "I wanted you to rest for awhile."

Mac smiled tiredly. "It's okay," she assured him.

Miranda had turned her head towards the sound of her mother's voice, and started crying harder, her face turning red.

Mac took her from Harm, and held her close. "Shh, it's okay; Mommy's here," she said, carrying her towards the sofa. She sat down and tossed the blanket over them, opening her robe enough to allow Miranda to nurse. The moment she latched on, there was silence in the room again.

Harm sighed. "I was hoping she would take the bottle," he told Mac, as he sat down beside her. "I know you didn't sleep last night."

Mac just looked at him, nodding. "I know; it's okay."

"I don't understand why she won't accept the bottle today," he said. "She doesn't usually have a problem with it."

Trish and Frank had followed them into the family room, and sat in the chairs nearby.

"She knows something has her mother upset, so she's reacting to it," Trish told them. "Want to tell us what happened last night?"

Harm looked at Mac, who nodded, before he explained the scene with Clayton Webb the night before.

"Do you think he'll accept AJ's word and let it go?" Frank asked.

"I don't know, Dad," Harm said, missing his mother's surprised look when he called him that. "With Webb, you never know what he's going to do. Hopefully he'll investigate quietly, find out that AJ was telling the truth, and we'll never hear from him again."

"You don't think he'd do anything to hurt Mac, do you?" Trish asked.

"I don't think so, but I don't know for sure," Harm said.

Mac held Miranda just a little closer when Trish asked that question. It was unlikely Clay would hurt her physically, even if she thought he'd be able to. She was more worried that he'd hurt her by kidnapping Miranda; _that_ was something she'd expect from the CIA operative, and it scared her to death. Standing, she looked at them. "I'm going to take her upstairs to finish feeding her," she said. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Do you need anything?" Harm asked, worried about her.

"No; I'll be fine," she told him.

"Get some rest, Mac," Trish told her. "We'll see you later on."

"Thanks Trish," Mac said, moving towards the stairs.

"Sleep well, Mac," Frank said, watching his daughter-in-law climb wearily up the steps, still cradling Miranda, covered by her blanket.

Mac nodded to him, just before she disappeared from view.

"We need to make some phone calls," Frank told Harm. "This needs to get straightened out, so Mac can find some peace." He stood, and then leaned forward and kissed his wife. "Will you excuse us for awhile, love?"

Trish smiled at him. "Of course, darling," she said.

Harm stood as well, kissing his mother's cheek. "Let me know if you hear anything from her, please?"

"I will dear," his mother said.

**10:16 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm and Frank had been in the den most of the morning. Harm had called some of his former CIA contacts, while Frank made some calls to a few Senators that he knew.

AJ had surprised them by showing up around 08:00, explaining that he figured Webb wouldn't just let it go, and offering to help. So he, too, had been making calls to people all morning. When his cell phone rang, he looked at Harm and Frank, before answering.

"Chegwidden," was his gruff response. "I see; any idea where he might have gone?" he asked. His frown deepened. "I'll let Rabb know, thank you."

"Sir?" Harm asked, not liking the look on his former CO's face.

"Webb was supposed to report in this morning for his new orders, but no one can find him," he told them. "They've issued a BOLO for him, but we need to be aware that he might come here."

Harm shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "What's the matter with him?" he muttered. "Why can't he just believe that we adopted Miranda?"

"Because Mac is nursing," AJ told him. "He told his secretary that he saw her breastfeeding Miranda, and so he knows you have to be lying to him."

Harm shook his head. "Damn it," he muttered.

There was a loud crash upstairs, along with a muffled cry that sounded distinctly male, and Miranda started crying in hysterics.

"Damn it!" Harm said again, as they all raced towards the stairs. He took them two at a time, and flung open the bedroom door, stopping short at the sight in front of him.

Mac had Webb pinned to the bed by the neck, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Sarah! I can't~ breathe!" Webb gasped out.

Mac glared down at him. "Good."

Webb struggled, and Mac's other hand contacted with his temple, causing him to see stars. "Sarah!" he gasped again.

Harm moved to her, touching her arm. "Mac, Honey, let him go," he said. "We'll take it from here."

Mac looked at Harm, then glared down at Webb, who was turning purple. Getting right down into his face, she looked him in the eyes. "_Stay away from my baby_," she hissed at him, just before she released him, standing and moving to the cradle, where she picked Miranda up and began soothing her.

Harm grabbed Webb and pulled him up, holding him by the back of the shirt collar, as he forced him out the door, pushing him in front of him, and then down the stairs, carefully avoiding allowing him anywhere near Mac and Miranda. "Come on," he growled.

The rest of the females in the house had gathered at the bottom of the stairs, but they stood back as Harm pushed Webb towards the living room, and then into the den.

As soon as the men were out of the way, all of them rushed upstairs to check on Mac and Miranda.

Harm pushed Webb into a chair, while AJ closed the door behind him and Frank. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

"I know you two are lying, Harm," Webb said angrily. "I saw Sarah breastfeeding yesterday! That baby is mine!"

Harm wanted to deck him, and he had to take a deep breath to calm down. "Not that it's any of your business, but Mac started taking hormone shots shortly after we found out we were going to adopt, so she could nurse," he told him.

Webb looked up, confused. "What?"

Harm looked pointedly at him. "Are you ready to listen to reason now, or do we have to hurt you?"

Webb looked at the three angry men in front of him, and sighed. "I'm listening," he said flatly.

Harm explained about Harmony, and how he and Mac had been with her throughout the latter part of her pregnancy. He explained how Mac had started taking hormone shots to be able to breastfeed, and then he told him about Mac's medical condition, which made it uncertain whether or not she would ever conceive. When he was finished, he looked at Webb. "All the records are available, and I'm sure you have good sources, so you can verify my story. If Miranda was your child, Mac, nor I, would ever keep that from you, Clay. No matter how angry, or hurt, Mac was, she wouldn't do that to you, or anyone else," Harm told him.

Webb had listened in silence, feeling more like a fool every minute. When Harm finished, he looked up at him, his face clearly showing his regret. "Harm, I'm sorry. When I saw… Miranda?… I just assumed--" he cut off. "I don't suppose Sarah would accept my apology?" he asked, wincing.

Harm grinned at him. "I'll go and talk to her, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to provoke a mother protecting her young?"

Webb winced again. "Yeah; my mother," he said.

Harm nodded, and then looked at AJ and Frank. "I'll go see if Mac is willing to come down and talk to you," he said to Webb.

"Thanks," he replied. "And Harm? I really am sorry."

Harm nodded, and then headed for the stairs, bracing himself for what might come.

**11:32 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac followed Harm downstairs, and hesitated just outside the den, cuddling Miranda closer. "Are you sure he understands, and he's not just saying that he wants to apologize to get us in the same room?" she asked.

Harm kissed her tenderly. "I'm sure, Mac," he said. "AJ and Frank are going to stand outside the door here, and I'll be in there with you. If he tries anything, he's a dead man," he promised.

Mac nodded, following him into the den. She watched as Frank and AJ stepped outside, both stopping to kiss Miranda on the forehead, and then closed the door. She turned to face Clayton Webb, who was still sitting in the chair.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah," Webb said, looking at her with pleading eyes. "When I saw you breastfeeding, I just assumed that you'd given birth to her, and given about how old she looks, I just assumed that she was mine," he told her.

"That's a lot of assumptions," she said with an icy tone.

Webb winced. "I know, and you're right. I swear, I never meant to hurt you. I just couldn't stand the thought that I had a child, and that you and Harm were keeping her from me," he explained. "Harm told me everything, so I know now that you really did adopt her, and that you are taking hormone shots in order to be able to breastfeed. I really am very sorry."

Mac softened slightly. "Did you honestly believe that I would intentionally keep your child from you, if she were yours?" she asked. "And knowing Harm's past, did you honestly believe that he would do that to you?"

Clay shrugged. "I wasn't thinking clearly," he told her. He tried to look at Miranda. "May I see her?" he asked, somewhat timidly.

Mac hesitated for a moment, looking to Harm, who gave her a small smiled and a brief nod. She turned Miranda in her arms, holding her so that she was facing Clayton. "Clayton Webb, meet Miranda Rabb," she said, softly.

Clay looked at the tiny girl, and his face lit into a smile. "Hello, Miranda," he said, feeling a bit awkward.

Mac again looked at Harm, and he gave her a small smile. "Would you like to hold her?" she asked.

Clay suddenly looked nervous. "Um, I don't know if I should… she's so small," he said.

Mac smiled a small smile. "She won't break," she assured him. She moved closer and handed Miranda to him, guiding him until he held her properly. She stayed close, still a little unsure if Clay was being honest or not, and watched as he looked at the infant.

"She's amazing," he said, softly. He looked up at Mac, and then looked at Harm. "You're a lucky man, Rabb," he said, a note of wistfulness in his voice.

Harm smiled, nodding. "I am," he agreed.

Miranda opened her eyes and blinked up at him, watching him intently.

Mac smiled at her, kneeling so that she was at Miranda's eye level. "Hi sweetheart," she said, lightly rubbing the top of her head.

Miranda turned her gaze to her mother, blinking again. One side of her mouth curled up, and then the other, as she smiled at her.

"Harm!" Mac exclaimed, a huge smile on her face and her heart swelling with joy, as she took Miranda back from Clay. "Harm, C'mere!" she said.

Harm moved to kneel beside Mac. "What is it?" he asked, looking at Miranda.

Miranda was looking around, blinking at the light.

"Mir-an-da," Mac sing-songed. "Hey sweetheart."

Miranda turned her head to look at her mother, and again, she smiled.

Harm broke into a wide grin. "Hey princess," he said, clearly excited.

Miranda looked towards the sound of his voice.

"Hi there," he said, smiling at her. "How's Daddy's girl?" he asked.

Miranda blinked, and then smiled at him.

"She smiled!" Mac exclaimed. "She actually smiled!"

Harm put his arm around Mac, as they looked down at Miranda, talking softly to her.

Clay stood and quietly moved to the door. He stopped long enough to look back on the scene behind him, his gut tightening briefly with a pang of jealousy. Sighing, he opened the door and slipped out. He would verify Harm's story, but he was sure his friend was telling the truth. There would be no need for him to bother them, anymore.


	37. Chapter 37

**13:56 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**3 Days Later**

Harm heard the honking of a car horn, and he smiled down at Miranda, who was comfortably lounging in his arms, sound asleep. "Mommy, Grampa , and the girls are home," he murmured, standing.

He looked at his mother and grandmother, smiling. "Well, let's go see what she picked out," he said.

They followed him out to the driveway, and Harm smiled in puzzlement, as Mac climbed out of the vehicle. "What is it?" he asked.

Mac grinned at him. "Isn't it neat?" she asked.

Harm eyed the vehicle, and couldn't decide if it was a minivan, a SUV, or a station wagon. "What is it?" he asked, again.

Mac laughed. "It's a Pacifica," she said.

"You let Frank talk you into a Chrysler, huh?" Trish asked, smiling.

Mac shook her head. "Actually, I picked this out all on my own," she told her.

"She really did," Chloe confirmed, hugging Grammy Sarah. "The guy kept trying to talk her into a regular minivan, once he heard she was a new mom, but Mac finally told him to let her look around, and she would call him when she was ready to talk to him. You should have _seen_ his face!"

"You agreed to play nice if I let you go without me," Harm said, smiling at Mac.

"I did play nice," she replied. "He was still standing when I left. I hate pushy salespeople, and he was really bad."

Harm chuckled, as he handed Miranda to Mac, and climbed into the vehicle to check it out. He adjusted the seat, and looked at the features, nodding. Sticking his head out the window, he looked at his wife. "Mind if I take it out for a spin?"

Mac shook her head. "The keys are in the ignition," she told him.

Harm looked at Frank, who was still sitting in the passenger seat. "Coming?"

Frank nodded, and put his seatbelt back on, as Harm started the ignition, and pulled out of the driveway.

Mac kissed Miranda on top of the head, as she motioned for them to head back into the house. "How was she?" she asked Trish and Sarah.

"An angel, as always," Trish smiled at her. "She took the bottle without any problems, and Harm held her until she finally fell asleep."

"Glad to hear it," Mac said. She looked at Mattie and Chloe. "How would you two like to go to a movie tonight? Harm was thinking he'd drop you off at the theater, and then go and pick you up later."

"Sweet!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Sounds like fun," Mattie concurred.

"We can check out all the hot guys there," Chloe told Mattie.

Mattie grinned and nodded.

"Just as long as you behave yourselves," Mac said, smiling at them. "I want you to have fun, but I want you to be safe, too."

"We will, Mac," Chloe told her.

**14:08 EST**

**Residential Neighborhood**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm glanced at Frank, as they drove around the neighborhood. "Can I ask you a personal question Dad?"

Frank smiled. "Of course," he replied. "I can't promise an answer, but you can ask."

Harm nodded. "Why didn't you and mom ever have any children of your own? Was it because of me?"

Frank sighed softly, and shook his head. "We almost did," he said quietly. "Do you remember when you were eleven, and you went to stay with your Grandma and Grandpa Lansing?"

Harm frowned. "Yeah, I got out of school and they were there to pick me up. They said that mom was sick, and needed to be in the hospital for a few days, so I was staying with them…" he looked at Frank, understanding dawning. "She miscarried?"

Frank nodded sadly. "We almost lost her that day," he told him. "She miscarried the baby… a girl… and she started hemorrhaging. They had to rush her to surgery, and they ended up having to do a hysterectomy in order to save her. So, of course, we could never have any other children after that. The loss of both the baby, and the ability to have more children, was very difficult on your mother; it took her a long time to move past that."

"Why didn't you and mom ever tell me?" Harm asked softly.

"I told your mom you could handle it, but she didn't want to upset you. You were so… consumed… with the loss of your father, I think she was trying to protect you from the knowledge that you'd lost a sibling, as well," he told him.

Harm closed his eyes briefly. His obsession with his father had hurt his mother more than he'd ever realized. "It must have been hard for you, as well," Harm said.

Frank nodded. "It was, but it was harder for me to watch what your mother was going through, and not know how to help her." He looked at Harm. "I heard what you told Clayton Webb; about Mac's condition. Son, if there's anything your mother or I can do, don't hesitate to ask."

Harm had just pulled into the driveway, and as he shut off the engine, he looked at him. "Thanks, Dad, that means a lot to me."

**22:04 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm entered the house behind Mattie and Chloe, who were still chattering incessantly about the movie, and boys. He followed them through the laundry room, into the door that led to the kitchen, and watched as they flopped down on the sofa. He looked up towards the stairs as Mac came down, and smiled."Hey you two," Mac said, grinning at them. "I take it you had fun?"

"It was so cool!" Chloe told her. "We got to the theater and these two totally hot guys were there, and they kept flirting with us. They were seeing the same movie as we were, so they asked us if they could sit by us."

Mac raised her eyebrows. "Did you let them?" she asked, noting Harm's concerned look.

Mattie nodded. "One sat by me, and the other sat by Chloe, and we kind of talked a little through the movie, though not too much. We wanted to see it, after all, and we didn't want to be rude to the people around us."

"Then after the movie, we went and sat at a table in the concession area, and talked while we waited for Harm to pick us up. They wanted to know if we wanted to go somewhere with them, but we told them we couldn't," Chloe told her.

"So, what were the names of these hotties?" Mac asked, smiling.

"The one that sat by me was Troy, and the one that sat by Chloe was Josh," Mattie told her. "They were really nice."

Chloe bounced up and went to the kitchen. "Want anything anyone?" When they all told her 'no', she nodded and got herself a glass of lemonade. She drank it down quickly, and then rinsed her glass and put it into the dishwasher. "I'm ready to head out to the tent," she said to Mattie. "Are you?"

Mattie nodded, standing. "Yeah." She went over and hugged Harm, kissing him on the cheek, before she did the same to Mac. "Good night," she said to them.

Chloe repeated Mattie's actions, and Harm and Mac watched them slip out the back door and head towards their tent.

"I don't know if I like the idea of them talking to strange boys," Harm said, frowning slightly.

Mac smiled at him. "It's perfectly normal," she assured him. "Besides, at least they were in a public place, and they refused to leave with them. They're both smart girls; try not to worry so much."

"Miranda isn't leaving the house until she's thirty," he said decisively.

Mac's musical laughter made him smile. "We'll see," she said, as she stood and moved to put her arms around his neck. She gave him a deep, lingering kiss. "Come to bed with me? Miranda should sleep for at least another hour."

Harm's eyes darkened, and he took her hand and led her upstairs to their room.

**09:16 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac, Harm, Sarah, Frank, Trish and Chloe, all stood outside in the driveway, hugging Mattie while her dad waited in his pickup for her to finish saying goodbye to everyone.

"We'll see you in a couple of weeks," Harm promised, when it was his turn to receive a hug. "Be good for your dad."

"I will," Mattie said, smiling. She hugged Chloe. "Bye, Sis," she said, and they grinned at each other. "Next time we're here, I'll have my driver's license. Maybe Mac will let us take the 'vette out."

Mac laughed, as she hugged her. "Don't hold your breath," she said. "We'll buy a car for teenage use, before you come out again."

Mattie leaned down to look at Miranda, who was being held by Mac. "Bye baby Sis," she said, laughing when she got a smile from her.

"She has the cutest smile!" she said, as she stood and hugged Trish, Frank, and Grammy Sarah. She climbed into the truck with her dad, and waved goodbye one more time, as they drove away.

Chloe sighed. "When does my flight leave?" she asked.

"In two hours, forty-one minutes," Mac replied. "You're all leaving for the airport in a few minutes."

Chloe nodded. "I can hardly wait to see my dad, and my grandparents, again, but I miss being here with you. You're all my family, too."

Everyone hugged her, telling her they felt the same way.

Mac watched as Harm put Chloe's luggage into the SUV, and Frank put his, Trish's and Sarah's luggage into the car he'd rented.

"We'll see you in six weeks," Trish said, hugging Mac, then accepted Miranda from her. She kissed her granddaughter, beaming when she smiled at her. "She's doing that a lot more," she noted.

Mac nodded. "Once she figured out it turns everyone to mush, she pretty much perfected it," she agreed.

Trish laughed, handing the baby girl to Sarah. "She looks so much like Harmony did when she was a baby," she told Harm, when he came to stand beside her. "But I think she's going to have her father's darker looks."

Mac looked surprised. "You think so?"

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Her eyes are already darker blue than they were when we first saw her, and her hair is darker, too."

"I think her hair is going to be curly, like Donny's was," Frank added. "Before he got his military haircut."

Harm smiled at that. The pictures he'd seen of Donny reminded him of Mac in a lot of ways. Dark hair and eyes, and an olive complexion; it wouldn't be a bad thing if Miranda looked a little like Mac.

Finally, everyone had said their goodbyes, and it was time for them to head to the airport.

Harm kissed Mac, and then Miranda, who was once again in her mother's arms, and then climbed into the SUV.

Mac waved goodbye, before she carried Miranda into the house. Sitting on the sofa with her, she turned Miranda so that she was facing her, and began talking to her in high-pitched tones, smiling at her, and laughing with joy every time Miranda smiled back.

It wasn't long before Miranda was hungry, so Mac fed and changed her, and then laid her down for a nap, before climbing into bed for a short nap herself. She wanted to be well-rested when her husband came home later.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Sorry this is late! Like I said, I started a new job, so I haven't had a lot of free time! THANK YOU so much for all of the great feedback! I really appreciate it! Enjoy…

**19:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm sat in a chair near the sofa, watching as Mac nursed Miranda. He couldn't describe the feelings of love and joy that flowed through him, as he took in the sight of his wife cradling their daughter close, while she suckled at the breast.

Mac looked up at him, and smiled almost shyly. "What?" she asked.

Harm moved his head, her question rousing him from his thoughts. "I was just thinking," he told her.

Mac raised her eyebrows. "Thinking about what?"

"How beautiful you are," he told her, smiling when she blushed. "And how perfect it is to watch you feeding Miranda."

Mac smiled, nodding.

Harm set the book he had been reading down on the side table, and moved to sit beside Mac on the sofa. He put his right arm around her, using his left hand to rub the top of Miranda's head. "She's tired," he noted, as he watched her eyes droop shut, and then open again.

"She's been staying awake a lot more the last couple of days," Mac said. "I don't know if it was because of all of the people in the house, or if she's just getting to a point where she needs less sleep."

"Well, if she sleeps more now that it's quieted down, you'll have your answer," he smiled at her.

Mac nodded. "She's going a bit longer between feedings, too," she said. "She's been eating about every two and a half to three hours, instead of every two hours."

"Is that good or bad?" Harm asked her.

"I'm not sure," Mac replied. She looked down at Miranda again, and smiled when she saw that she was sound asleep. Carefully breaking the suction Miranda had on the nipple, she lifted her up to her shoulder and rubbed her back, murmuring softly to her.

Harm tenderly kissed her forehead. "Want me to take her up to bed?" he asked.

Mac shook her head. "No, I'll do it," she told him.

Harm nodded. "Okay." He watched as Mac stood, and carried Miranda up the stairs. Picking his book up off of the end table, he started to read where he'd left off. It had been about fifteen minutes since Mac had taken Miranda upstairs, when he heard her come back down. Glancing up from his book, he froze, staring at the vision that was coming towards him.

Mac was wearing a peach-colored nightgown, that was barely long enough to cover her bottom, with a sheer robe of the same color over the top. The lace bodice left little to the imagination, and it was held onto her body by two thin spaghetti straps. She smiled at him, as she moved to the sofa and took his book from his hands, setting it aside, and climbing into his lap. "I love you," she whispered, as she leaned her forehead against his, looking into his eyes.

"I love you, too," he whispered back, returning her intense gaze. "You look amazing," he told her, running his hand through her silky hair.

"Thank you," she said, smiling. She ran her hand through his hair, down his neck, and then along his chest to the waistband of his jeans, and then back again.

Harm cupped her cheek in his palm, and leaned forward to kiss her. It was a slow, gentle, cherishing kiss, that spoke of his love for her. When the need for air became too much, he pulled away as slowly as he could, breathing raggedly.

Mac, too, was breathing heavily, as her lips tingled from the kiss. "I want you," she whispered to him.

Harm kissed her again, this time with a kiss that spoke of passion, and need, as he pushed the sheer robe off of her shoulders, discarding it somewhere on the floor behind her. He pulled his mouth away from hers, kissing down her neck, and then tracing the scar at the base of her throat with his tongue. He smiled at Mac's soft moan of pleasure, as he kissed his way back up her neck to her ear.

Mac stood, pulling him with her, and unbuttoned the simple cotton shirt he wore, pushing it off of him, and allowing it to join her robe on the floor. Then she lifted the hem of his t-shirt, pushing it up as far as she could, and then allowing him to pull it over his head and drop it to the floor. She placed her flattened palms on his rock-hard abdomen, and then trailed them up to his chest, and then down along his arms, her eyes following the path her hands were taking.

Harm stood as still as he could, watching her caress his body. The intensity of her gaze, combined with the softness of her touch, was turning him on. When she pressed her lips to his neck, he inhaled sharply.

Her lips blazed a trail of heat along his skin, down his neck and chest, pausing long enough to swirl her tongue around each nipple, before she moved her kisses down his abdomen. She kneeled in front of him, unbuttoning, and then unzipping, his jeans. Pulling both his jeans and his boxers from him, she helped him step out of them, pushing them out of the way, and then standing again. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, pushing her tongue into his mouth, and he groaned.

Harm pulled her against him, and kissed her hard. Suddenly, he pushed her away, smiling at her surprised look, and pulled her nightgown over her head, dropping it while he allowed his eyes to roam over her. He pulled her close and kissed her again, before lowering her to the sofa, stretching out over her. He looked into her eyes, brushing the hair from her forehead. "I love you, Sarah," he said softly.

Mac's eyes filled with tears, as she smiled at Harm. The way he said her name always made her feel so loved. Smiling, she kissed him deeply again.

Harm pulled her closer, and allowed himself to fall into the flames again.

**23:02 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac opened one eye and frowned, wondering what had woken her. When she heard it again, she opened the other eye and carefully pushed herself off of her husband, switching off the baby monitor so it wouldn't wake him, and then covering him with the blanket off the back of the sofa. She quickly retrieved her discarded clothing, and went upstairs. Walking into the bedroom, she grabbed her robe off the chest at the foot of the bed and pulled it on, before moving to the cradle and lifting her squalling child from it. "Shh, it's okay," she murmured. "Mommy's here."

Miranda began 'rooting', and Mac frowned at how frantic she seemed.

"You went over three hours this time, it's no wonder you're hungry," she said, sitting in the rocking chair and opening her robe enough to allow Miranda to nurse.

Miranda's cries settled into soft whimpers as she began to nurse. After a few minutes, she had quieted, and was looking up into her mother's eyes.

Mac ran her finger along her cheek, smiling down at her. "Is that better?" she asked softly. She heard a noise by the bedroom door and looked over, seeing Harm come in wearing just his boxers, the rest of his clothing held loosely in his hand. "I didn't mean for her to wake you," she told him.

Harm smiled at her. "She didn't; I missed my wife."

He walked over to her and gave her a slow, loving kiss. Then he leaned forward and kissed Miranda. "How's my princess?" he asked her.

Miranda stopped nursing long enough to give him a smile, and then returned to suckling, a deep frown of concentration on her face.

Harm looked at Mac and grinned. "Think she knows that smile melts me?"

Mac winked at him. "I'm sure she does."

Harm moved to the bathroom, and was in there for a couple of minutes, before coming back out and climbing into bed, turning so he could watch Mac and Miranda.

Mac rocked gently back and forth, humming softly, while Miranda nursed. After five minutes, she switched sides and continued, softly touching her baby girl, while she looked into her eyes.

Miranda nursed for another sixteen minutes, before she pulled away and took a deep breath.

"Are you finished?" Mac asked, smiling at her. She waited for a moment before she tried to get her to latch on again. When Miranda refused, she nodded. "You're done," she said.

Standing, she carried Miranda over to the changing table and laid her down. She fixed her robe, and then changed Miranda, before carrying her back over to the rocker.

"Why don't you bring her over here and let her lie down with us for awhile?" Harm asked, just before she sat down.

"I don't want her to get used to sleeping with us," Mac told him. "I hear it's a tough habit to break them of."

"She's not going to sleep with us," he assured her. "But it's unlikely she'll fall back to sleep right away, so we can spend some time with her here."

"Okay, as long as she sleeps in her own bed," Mac told him, as she carried Miranda over and put her in the middle of the bed.

Harm had turned so he was facing the center of the bed, and he looked down at Miranda as Mac climbed in to bed, smiling at her. He put his finger near her hand, and let her grip it tight, just as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Your Mom's right," Mac told him. "Her hair and eyes are darker than they used to be."

Harm nodded. "I think Frank is right, too," he said. "When I bathed her tonight, I noticed that her hair curled up as soon as it was wet."

Mac smiled down at Miranda. "You're such a pretty girl," she said to her.

Miranda smiled, and Mac laughed.

Harm just stared at Mac, a contented smile on his face.

They lay there with Miranda for about an hour, talking to her, and each other, and just enjoying the time together as a family. When Miranda finally drifted off to sleep, Harm carefully picked her up and put her into her cradle, and then crawled back into bed.

Pulling Mac close to him, he kissed her deeply. "Thank you," he whispered to her.

"For what?" she asked.

"For making me the happiest man in the world," he replied.

Mac smiled at him, and then kissed him again. "Tired?" she asked.

"Not yet," he answered. "I had a pretty good nap a little while ago."

"Mmm," she murmured, kissing his neck. "I can think of one or two things to wear you out."

Harm unbelted her robe and pushed it off of her. "Show me," he said, giving her the sexy smile that made her stomach flutter and her knees feel weak.

So she did.

**10:14 EST **

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**One Week Later**

Dr. Neal entered the exam room and smiled at Harm and Mac. "How are we doing?"

"Great," Mac told her. "She's completely off of the oxygen, and she's started smiling at us."

Dr. Neal looked surprised. "Wow, that's great, considering she was premature." She eyed both Harm and Mac. "You two look amazingly well rested for parents of a newborn."

Harm grinned. "We've worked out a schedule, so that we're both getting enough sleep," he told her.

"That is excellent," Dr. Neal told them. "I wish I saw more parents that work together like that." She looked at Miranda's chart. "Well, she's only gained about four ounces, which is okay. As long as she's still gaining and not losing, I'm not going to worry too much. Okay, sweetie, let's have a look at you."

Mac stepped out of the way, so that Dr. Neal could examine her. After she was done with her exam, she stepped back and nodded to Mac.

"You can get her dressed now," she told her.

Mac moved back to the exam table and started dressing Miranda again, as she listened to Dr. Neal.

"She looks great, and she's developing normally," Dr. Neal said. "Unless there's a problem, I don't need to see her again for six more weeks, at which time she'll be due for her second series of vaccinations."

"We're leaving in five weeks for vacation in California," Harm told her. "Should we come in early, or wait until we get back?"

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"We're planning on two weeks," Harm told her.

"I don't see any reason why you can't wait until you get back," she said. "As long as it is within the next eight weeks, we're okay."

Harm nodded, as Mac picked Miranda up from the table.

"Do either of you have any questions for me?" she asked them.

"She was staying awake longer while we had a house full of company, but she's sleeping more again," Mac told her. "Is that normal?"

Dr. Neal smiled and nodded. "Babies are affected by their environments, so any changes will affect how much they sleep, and sometimes their moods."

"She's also started going longer between feedings," Mac said. "She used to eat every two hours almost like clockwork, and now she's going two and a half to three hours at a time. Is that something to be concerned about?"

"No; in fact, the stretches between feeding times may increase as she gets older, and especially after you introduce solid foods. We're not going to do that for a couple of months yet, but I just want you to be aware. Like I said before, as long as she isn't losing weight, she's okay. Anything else?"

Harm and Mac looked at one another, both shaking their heads.

"No, I think we're good," Harm told her.

"All right then," she said. "Have a good vacation, and I'll see you in six to eight weeks."

"Thank you, Dr. Neal," Mac said.

Harm thanked her, and they followed her out of the exam room to go and checkout.


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback! I really, really appreciate it! My new job is going pretty well… this week was training, and next week the madness truly begins! So I have a few days off, and I'm hoping for a few quiet days to get some writing done. Enjoy…

**11:46 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac looked at Harm, who was feeding Miranda a bottle, while she sat on the exam table in a paper gown, and smiled tightly.

"It's freezing in here," she said.

Harm gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded. "I guess it would be, when you're pretty much naked," he responded, and then gave her a lecherous grin. "Too bad there isn't a lock on the door."

Mac laughed, and rolled her eyes at him. "You're incorrigible! What would we do with Miranda?" she asked.

Harm sighed. "I forgot about that for a minute," he said, looking down at his daughter. "Sorry, princess, but your Mommy makes me forget just about everything when she's naked."

"Harm!" Mac protested, stifling her laughter, as Harm just grinned at her.

Dr. Martindale knocked once and then entered the exam room. "How are you doing today?" she asked.

"Other than the fact that I'm freezing, everything is okay," Mac told her.

Dr. Martindale smiled at her. "It does get a bit nippy in here," she nodded. "Let's get right to it then, shall we?" She told Mac to lie back on the table, and then pulled the stirrups out, putting her feet into them. "Scoot all the way to the edge," she instructed.

Mac did as she was told, and then looked over at Harm while Dr. Martindale did the pelvic exam.

"I was very encouraged by the results of your tests," Dr. Martindale said, as she quickly performed the pelvic exam, and then stripped off her gloves and tossed them into the trash. "The surgery was a complete success, and so now it's up to you two to decide when you're ready to start trying to have a baby," she told them. "I know you have a newborn, so you might want to wait for awhile, but when you're ready, we can start discussing options."

"What do you estimate my current chances of conceiving being?" Mac asked.

"I'd say thirty to fifty percent, maybe," Dr. Martindale replied.

"And if I take fertility medications?" Mac asked.

"Sixty percent or better," Dr. Martindale told her. "I can't promise you that you'll ever become pregnant, but your odds have increased. I wouldn't recommend birth control pills, but if you aren't willing to risk getting pregnant right now, there are other, non-pharmaceutical options available."

Mac looked at Harm. "Could we have a few minutes to discuss it?" she asked.

"Of course," Dr. Martindale said, smiling. "Come into my office when you're ready." She picked up Mac's chart and left them alone.

"What do we want to do?" Mac asked. "The chances are slim, but there is a chance that I could get pregnant. If I were to get pregnant in the next couple of months, would we be ready for another baby in less than a year's time?"

Harm looked at her seriously. "I'm ready whenever you are, Mac. I want us to have as many children as God will allow, but I don't want to pressure you into anything you're not ready for. If you want to wait awhile, and then try, I'll be okay with that. You're the one that has to carry a baby, and nurse, and having two small children around would be more difficult for you; especially if you continue to work. You know that I'll help you as much as I possibly can," he told her. "I'll leave the decision up to you."

Mac began getting dressed, thinking about what Harm had just said. What if she didn't use any form of birth control, and she still wasn't pregnant in a year? Well, then they could look into fertility drugs. On the other hand, what if she got pregnant right away? Was she ready to take on the responsibility of another infant, when she'd have a toddler to take care of, too?

Harm watched Mac's internal struggle, as he held Miranda close. He loved the idea of a whole house full of little ones running around, but he wouldn't pressure Mac into doing something she neither wanted, nor was ready for. She was his primary concern.

As soon as she was dressed, Mac nodded to Harm, and they gathered up their belongings and went to Dr. Martindale's office. She nodded to them in greeting, and told them to take a seat.

"What have you decided?" she asked.

Mac looked at Harm and then back to the doctor. "I think we'll just leave it in God's hands," she told her. "We'll have another child when we're meant to. If we haven't gotten pregnant in a year, we'll see about trying fertility meds, and giving God a hand," she smiled.

Harm smiled, too, and nodded to her, giving her a wink.

"All right, then," Dr. Martindale said. "Well, unless there's a good reason to see you, I won't need to see you for a year. Angelina will get you your final supply of hormone shots. Once you've finished using them, your body shouldn't need them anymore; by then, you'll have been nursing long enough that your body will continue to produce milk as long as you keep nursing, or using the breast pump. Any questions or concerns?"

Mac shook her head. "No, thank you."

They stood and shook hands with the doctor, before making their way to the car.

"Where would you like to eat?" Harm asked.

"I'm not picky," Mac said. "You're the one that's practically a vegetarian," she said, grinning.

Harm rolled his eyes. "Okay, my little carnivore, let's see if I can find someplace on the way home that will satisfy both of us."

Mac laughed, as she leaned up to kiss him, before climbing into the backseat of the SUV to put Miranda into her car seat. "Your Daddy is so silly," she told the sleeping girl, kissing her on the forehead.

**06:14 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Five Weeks Later**

"Harm! We're going to be late! Are you ready?" Mac called, as she double checked their luggage to make sure they had everything.

Harm came down the stairs carrying Miranda. "All set," he told her. "Miss Miranda decided to pee all over her nice dress while I was changing her diaper, so I had to change her clothes, too."

"Where's the dress?" Mac asked, concerned about leaving it for two weeks.

"I rinsed it out and put it into a baggie; we can wash it at Mom's," he told her, handing Miranda to her. "You get her into the car seat, and I'll get the luggage."

"Got it," Mac said, picking up her purse and the diaper bag. She carried Miranda out to the SUV and put her into her car seat, setting the diaper bag on the seat. By the time she had gotten Miranda settled, and buckled herself into the front passenger seat, Harm had the luggage loaded.

"Do we have everything?" he asked her.

Mac ran through her mental checklist, and then nodded. "Bud and Harriet are going to come over to check on the house, and get the mail. We're ready."

Harm buckled his seatbelt and then started the engine, backing out into the driveway.

The drive to the airport didn't take as long as they had expected, so they arrived at the airport with plenty of time to check in, clear security, and sit down at their gate.

Harm carried Miranda's car seat, and he looked down to be sure she was still sleeping, before he looked at Mac. "Want some coffee?" he asked.

Mac glanced over and saw the coffee shop wasn't terribly busy. "Could you get me an iced green tea with raspberry?" she asked.

Harm smiled, as he set Miranda's seat in the chair beside Mac's. "Of course," he said, leaning forward to kiss her. "I'll be right back."

Mac looked at Miranda, who was still sleeping peacefully, and smiled. "That's my girl," she said softly.

"Mac?" a voice called, and Mac looked up, surprised.

"Renee?" Mac said, smiling pleasantly, and standing to shake the other woman's hand. "How are you?"

"Great, and you?" Renee asked, looking at the man beside her. "Oh, Mac, sorry, this is my husband, Cyrus. Cyrus, this is Mac," she said.

Mac smiled at the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, shaking his hand.

Miranda made a sound and Mac turned to her. Seeing she was awake, she lifted her from the car seat. "It's okay, sweetie," Mac said, cradling her in her arms.

"Oh! I she yours?" Renee asked, looking at Miranda.

Mac smiled. "Yes; this is Miranda," she said.

"Oh, she's simply beautiful!" Renee said, looking at the infant with longing.

"She is adorable," Cyrus told her. "How old is she?"

"Almost three months," Mac said, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"You look pretty amazing for someone that just gave birth three months ago!" Renee said, eyeing Mac's still trim figure. She self-consciously pulled her sweater over her. "I had my son over a year ago, and I still haven't lost the weight!"

Mac smiled at her. "You look great, Renee," she told her, deliberately choosing not to tell her Miranda was adopted. "Honest."

Harm returned, puzzling over who Mac was talking to, as he could only see them from behind. "One iced green tea with raspberry for my stunning wife," he said, and blinked in surprise when the others turned to look at him. "Renee," he said.

"Harm," Renee said, even more surprised. "You…?" she said, looking back and forth between Harm and Mac, and then she smiled. "Of course you are," she stated. "So, how long have you been married?" she asked.

"Almost six months," Harm told her.

Renee raised an eyebrow, as she glanced at Miranda, but didn't comment. "That's great," she said, instead. "Oh, Harm, you remember Cyrus?"

Harm nodded to the other man, and smiled, indicating the drinks he held by way of apology for not shaking his hand. "Pleasure to see you again."

Cyrus returned the nod. "Same."

"So… are you two flying to California?" Renee asked.

Harm nodded. "Yeah, we're going to take Miranda to my parents' house. How about you two?"

"Oh, no, we're on a layover from California," Renee said. "We're heading home now."

"So, how is the video industry?" Mac asked.

Renee's smile was forced. "Oh, I gave that up to be a wife and mother," she said. "The hours were too long, and I was away from home far too often."

"Well, the rewards of being a mother are worth it, right?" Mac asked.

This time, Renee's smile was real. "Yeah. I wouldn't trade my Nigel for anything."

Cyrus looked at his watch. "Honey, we need to get to our gate before it's time to board," he told Renee. "It was nice meeting you both," he said.

"Of course," Renee said. "It was good to see you both again. We should all get together sometime," she told them.

Mac nodded, smiling. "Sure. It was nice to see you again; Cyrus, nice to meet you."

"It really is good to see you again Renee," Harm told her. "I'm glad you're happy."

Renee gave him another forced smile, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "I am, Harm, thanks." With that, they turned and left.

Mac watched them leave, and she sighed. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. "She doesn't seem very happy, does she?"

"No, she doesn't," Harm replied. "She settled, and I think that it's catching up to her."

Mac looked at him. "Are you sorry you let her go?"

Harm set their drinks down and cupped her face in both hands. "Never. If I had stayed with Renee, _I'd _have been the one settling, and then I'd be miserable. I have you, and Miranda, and I am the happiest man alive." He kissed her gently, letting her feel the truth in his words.

When he pulled away, Mac smiled at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, drink your tea before they call our flight," he said, handing her the cup.

**10:04 PST**

**San Diego International Airport**

**San Diego, CA**

Harm carried Miranda's car seat off of the plane, while Mac carried her purse, the diaper bag, and the camera bag. They collected their luggage, went to the rental car counter to pick up the keys for their rental, and then headed out to the waiting vehicle.

As soon as they were all in the car, Harm and Mac breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"We're buying a plane and I'm flying from now on," Harm told her. "That was ridiculous."

Mac smiled tiredly; she had to agree. Even first class seats hadn't been enough to ease the burden of traveling on a commercial flight.

A young child had screamed nearly the entire five hour flight, which had woken and upset Miranda, who had decided to join in. The screaming child had fallen asleep with only thirty minutes left of the flight, so Mac had nursed Miranda to get her to fall asleep as well.

"The good news is, she'll probably sleep for awhile," Mac told him, glancing back at Miranda, who was safely buckled.

"Until my mother gets a hold of her," he said. "We have about 20 minutes' reprieve." He started the car and began driving towards La Jolla.

It took them a little longer than expected, as there was an accident on the I-5 Northbound, but they arrived at Harm's parents' house at 11:26. Harm was just unbuckling Miranda's car seat, when he heard his mother's voice.

"Harm, Mac, I'm so glad you're finally here!" she said. "Where's Miranda?"

Mac smiled in Harm's direction, as his mother came up and hugged her, and then hurried around to the other side of the car to hug Harm. Then she looked at Miranda in her car seat, and grinned broadly.

"Oh! Look how much she's grown! She's simply gorgeous!" she gushed. "Here, let Granma have her," she told her son.

"Mom, she's really heavy in this seat, and she didn't sleep at all on the plane," he told her.

"I can handle the seat, and I won't wake her," she promised. "I just want to see her."

Harm gave Mac a look, as he handed his daughter over to his mother, and then moved around to get their luggage.

Mac stifled a laugh, as she moved to help him.

Once they had everything, they followed Trish into the house, which was blessedly air-conditioned.

"I have your room made up already," Trish told them, eyeing the portable crib that Harm had slung over his shoulder. "I hope you'll like it."

She led them upstairs, careful not to bump Miranda's car seat on anything, and showed them to their room.

Harm and Mac looked at each other, and smiled when they entered the bedroom. It was large and open, with a terrific view of the ocean outside the large windows. There was a king-sized bed with a night table on either side, and a beautiful white crib with teddy bears painted on it nearby. A matching white changing table was near the crib, as was a matching rocking chair.

"It's beautiful Trish," Mac said, smiling at her mother-in-law.

"I'm glad you like it," she said. She held up a baby monitor. "So you can hear her from anywhere in the house or on the grounds."

Mac smiled gratefully. "This was so thoughtful of you," she said, hugging Trish.

"Where's Dad?" Harm asked, as he set their bags down.

"Oh, he had some business in L.A., but he'll be back this evening," she told them. "He was really disappointed that he wouldn't be here when you arrived."

"It's okay," Harm assured her. "We'll see him tonight."

Trish carefully leaned forward and kissed Miranda. "I'll let you get settled, and freshen up a bit. I have to run to the gallery for about an hour or so, but I'll see you when I get back."

"Okay, Mom," Harm said, hugging her. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, darling," she said. "I'll be back in awhile."

Harm gently lifted Miranda out of the car seat, placing her into the crib. Then he set about helping Mac get their things put away, smiling as Mac eyed the large tub in the bathroom. Once they were finished putting everything away, Harm put his arms around Mac, kissing her softly.

"Why don't you go and take a bath?" he suggested. "Miranda should sleep for awhile."

Mac smiled at him. "Only if you join me, Sailor," she said, kissing him again.

Harm raised his eyebrows. "Now that's an offer I'd be crazy to refuse. Lead the way."


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: Here's another chapter! Took a little longer than I'd hoped, but it's a longer chapter, too. Thank you, as ever, for the great feedback! It is keeping me motivated!

None of the things mentioned in this chapter belong to me, I'm just borrowing their names for the purpose of making Harm and Mac happy! Enjoy…

**18:22 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Trish sat in a chair holding Miranda, who was wide awake and happily smiling at her grandmother. Frank sat in another chair, smiling at the faces his wife was making at the baby, while Harm and Mac were sitting on the sofa watching her, exchanging amused glances.

"So Dad, Mom said you had business in L.A. today? How is the Smoggy City?" Harm asked with a grin.

"Not as smoggy today," Frank replied with an answering grin. "The Santa Ana winds have picked up, and it's hotter than hell, but the smog isn't too bad. Actually, I was in Orange County, though. Chrysler is working with Disneyland on a special giveaway, so I spent the day at the Magic Kingdom in meetings all day."

"What's Disneyland like?" Mac asked. "I've never been there."

Harm looked at her incredulously. "You've never been to _Disneyland_?"

Mac looked at him seriously. "Never; what little money we did have went for booze," she said softly.

Harm softened, putting his arm around her. "We have to remedy this," he told Frank. "Think you and Mom could watch Miranda for us sometime this week? _Everyone_ needs to visit Disneyland at least once, and with the new park, it's a must see."

"We'd love to watch Miranda darling," Trish said, smiling at them. "That's what Granmommy's are for."

Harm looked at Mac for a minute. "Have you ever been to Sea World?" he asked.

"Nope," Mac said.

"The Zoo?" he asked.

"I took Little AJ to the one in Washington D.C. a few years ago," she told him.

"How about Universal Studios?" Frank asked her.

Mac shook her head. "No. I've never been to any kind of theme or amusement park," she told them. "After I sobered up and joined the Corps, it just seemed silly to go to one, especially by myself. I figured that maybe one day I'd have kids, and I'd go then."

Harm shook his head sadly. "Oh no. No, no, no; this won't do. You, my love, are going to have the greatest two weeks of your life," he said. "You'd better get the breast pump warmed up, because Mom's going to need a lot of bottles."

Mac looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Harm!" she said. "We can't expect your mother to watch Miranda the entire time we're here."

"Oh, I don't mind dear," Trish said. "I would love the opportunity to spend lots of time with my granddaughter."

"We can take Miranda with us to the Zoo, and maybe to Sea World," Harm said. "I don't want her outside too much if it's going to be hot."

Mac smiled at him. "We are going to the beach, still, right?" she asked.

"I promised," Harm answered, nodding. "Heck, we can walk to the beach from here. Whenever you want to go, just say the word."

"All right," Mac said.

"Ma'am?" Marla, the housekeeper, spoke to Trish. "Dinner is served."

"Thank you, Marla," Trish said, and then looked at her family. "Well let's go eat, shall we?"

**20:41 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm stood beside his wife as she placed Miranda into the crib in the bedroom, and then kissed her on the forehead after Mac moved out of the way.

"Good night, princess," he said softly, and then stood and wrapped his arms around Mac. "Feel like a sunset walk on the beach?" he asked.

"Do you think your mom would mind keeping an ear out for her?" Mac asked, and then laughed softly at the look he gave her. "No, I guess she wouldn't."

After dinner, they had brought Miranda upstairs and bathed her, and then Mac had fed her. Once she was finished eating, and had fallen asleep, they had put her down.

"She should be good for at least a couple of hours," Mac said, picking up the baby monitor and carrying it with them out of the bedroom.

Harm nodded in agreement, and they went to find his parents. They were sitting in the family room, reading.

"Mom, Dad, would you mind listening for Miranda for a bit while we go for a walk?" Harm asked.

"Of course not, darling," Trish said, smiling at them. She accepted the baby monitor from Mac, and set it on the table beside her. "Enjoy your walk."

Harm smiled at his mother, and put his arm around his wife's waist as he led her out of the house towards the beach.

They walked the short distance to the beach, Harm helping her to descend the steep steps, and then they put their arms around each other and began walking along the shoreline.

"Look at that sunset," Mac breathed.

Harm looked at it for a minute, and then turned to Mac. "I'd rather watch you," he said, leaning forward to kiss her.

When they broke the kiss, Mac smiled softly at him, and then laid her head on his chest, both arms wrapped around his waist, as they watched the sun sink below the horizon.

Harm stood with his wife wrapped in his arms, and inhaled the fragrance of her hair, smiling happily.

"Ready to head back?" he asked, as the stars began to come out and the moon began to come up in the eastern horizon.

"Yes," Mac said. "I want to go check on Miranda."

"You don't trust my mother?" he asked, smiling.

"I trust her, I just feel guilty leaving my baby," she said, shrugging.

Harm stopped and turned to her, cupping her cheek in his palm. "I love hearing you say that," he told her. "It sometimes amazes me at how completely you've accepted Miranda as your own."

Mac smiled up at him. "Sometimes it amazes me, too," she replied. "I just can't explain how much I love her, and how close I feel to her. I love her just as if I'd given birth to her myself. Sometimes I'm scared to death by the thought that I'm partly responsible for shaping the personality, and values of another human being, and I'm terrified I'll mess it up."

Harm smiled down at her. "I know just how you feel."

"You do?" she asked.

"I've felt the same way. Taking care of Mattie showed me that I was able to love someone unconditionally, and that I could take care of another person and not completely screw it up. But it still sometimes scares me, too."

Mac brushed a stray hair from his forehead. "We'll make our way together then, and trust that God will help us through it."

Harm leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "Let's go see how our little girl is doing, shall we?"

Mac smiled at him and nodded.

**08:15 PST**

**Burnett Home **

**La Jolla, CA**

**2 Days Later**

Mac checked over everything once more, as Harm stood smiling.

"You have our cell phone numbers?" she asked Trish for the third time.

"Yes dear, I have both your's and Harm's cell numbers," she replied.

Harm smiled at his wife's nervousness. "Let's go Marine," he said. "Miranda will be fine for a couple of days without us," he assured her.

Mac nodded, and leaned forward to kiss Miranda for the fifth time. "I love you, sweetheart. Be good for Granma," she said. Looking at Harm, she nodded. "Let's go."

Harm took her hand and led her to the rental car, smiling as he helped Mac into the passenger seat, before climbing into the driver's side.

"It should take around an hour and a half to get there, depending on traffic," he told her.

"Okay," she said.

Harm took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Miranda will be fine," he promised her.

Mac smiled at him. "I know, it just feels weird to be leaving her."

"I know," Harm said. "It feels weird to me, too. Just try to relax and have fun."

Mac smiled at him. She didn't want to ruin his day, and he was so excited about the two of them spending some time alone together. Well, as alone as one could be with thousands of strangers.

Mac fell asleep about twenty minutes into the drive, which was probably a good thing, as the traffic was as hairy as usual. I-5 seemed to always be under road construction, and there were times when Harm's impatience nearly got the better of him. Finally having had enough, Harm took the next exit and made his way to Harbor Blvd., knowing they weren't far from their destination.

He parked the car in the parking lot, and Mac stirred.

"Are we there?" she asked, stretching as much as the tiny space allowed.

"Yes we are," he replied, placing the parking ticket in the window and climbing out of the vehicle. He made his way to the passenger side, and opened the door for her, helping her out.

Mac stopped and took in the sight before her, and smiled.

"Ready?" Harm asked, giving her his flyboy grin.

"Absolutely," she replied, accepting his hand.

**15:52 PST**

**Disneyland**

**Anaheim, CA**

Mac accepted Harm's help off of the ride, laughing. They were both soaked. "Now I know why it's called 'Splash Mountain'," she said, wringing some of the water from her t-shirt.

Harm laughed, too. "Wait until we get to the other park and ride 'Bear Mountain'… then we'll really be wet!"

"Good thing it's warm outside," she said, as Harm led her to the place where he could buy the photo of them going over the drop at the end of the ride. She laughed when he handed her the photo. "Look at our faces!" she exclaimed.

Harm had finished paying the cashier, and looked at it, grinning. "I don't know Marine, were you scared or surprised?"

"Definitely surprised," Mac said, smiling.

"Okay, we've covered all of 'Adventure Land', 'New Orleans Square', and 'Critter Country'," Harm said, looking at the map he held. "Let's head over to 'Frontier Land'. We have reservations at 'The Blue Bayou' at 19:30 for dinner, so we'll have to backtrack a bit for that."

Mac smiled, as she took his hand again. "Hey, I'm hungry now."

Harm laughed. "We'll get a snack then. What sounds good? Churros? Popcorn? Giant Pretzels?"

"All of the above, and some lemonade," Mac said.

Harm looked at her, shocked. "You're serious."

"Yes," Mac said, nodding.

Harm laughed again, leading her towards 'Frontier Land'. "We'll stop at the next snack cart we see."

Twenty minutes later, Mac had finished her 'snack', and they were boarding the 'Mark Twain' paddle boat.

As the ride began, Harm led Mac to the front of the boat, where they stood at the railing and watched as the boat moved lazily along the 'American River'. Harm wrapped his arms around Mac and sighed happily when she leaned her head back against him.

"This is nice," she said.

"Mmm, it sure is," Harm said, nuzzling her neck.

"This has been a great day so far," she told him. "I'm glad you talked me into it."

"I'm glad you're having fun," he replied. "We still have a lot to do, too."

"I can't wait," she grinned.

**21:14 PST**

**Disneyland**

**Anaheim, CA**

"The fireworks are going to start soon," Harm told Mac, pulling her out of the gift shop. "Do you want some ice cream?"

Mac smiled at him, as she readjusted her grip on her bags. She'd purchased souvenirs for the entire Roberts clan, the Admiral, Jen, Sturgis, and themselves. She'd even found some items for Miranda.

"Sounds good," she told him.

They got their ice cream and Harm led her outside to a spot on 'Main Street' to watch the fireworks.

Harm watched Mac's face, as she watched the pyrotechnics display, smiling like a little kid as she ate her ice cream. When the show was over, he wrapped his arm around her.

"So, where to next?" Mac asked.

"'Fantasy Land'," Harm said, grinning. He took the bags from her, placing them into the knapsack he'd brought with him, and slinging it over his back.

"I figure we can probably get through 'Fantasy Land' tonight, and then finish the rest of the park tomorrow. Then we can head over to 'California Adventure'," Harm said, as they made their way through the crowd. "We can get an earlier start in the morning, so we should be able to cover everything before we leave."

Mac stopped as they crossed the drawbridge to 'Sleeping Beauty Castle'. "Can we call your mom again to check on Miranda?" she asked.

Harm smiled. "Of course we can," he agreed, pulling out his cell phone and dialing the number. He spoke with his mother for a few minutes, and then handed the phone to Mac to allow her to talk to her. As soon as Mac was finished, she handed him his phone back.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him. "I feel better knowing that everything is okay."

"Glad to hear it," Harm said. "C'mon… we still have a lot to do before the park closes."

A half an hour later, they had ridden the carousel, and were now in the spinning teacups.

"Harm!" Mac laughed, as he made their teacup spin around madly. "I'm going to throw up! Stop!"

Harm was laughing right along with her, as he let up on it for a minute. As soon as he'd regained his equilibrium a little, he started them spinning around crazily again.

"Harm! Seriously!" Mac said, eyes wide. "I think I'm really going to be sick."

Harm stopped, looking at her face, as the ride slowly came to a stop. "Are you okay?" he asked her, concerned.

Mac took some slow, deep breaths. "Yeah, I think so," she told him. "I need something cold to drink."

"Okay," he said, helping her off, laughing with her as they both stumbled a bit.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked.

"A soda sounds good," she told him.

They found a snack cart and purchased their drinks, and then sat down on a bench to rest and drink them.

"Feeling better?" Harm asked, rubbing her back.

"Much," Mac said, sipping her Sprite.

Harm saw 'The Mad Hatter's Hat Shop', and stood, taking her hand. "C'mon, I want to get you something."

Mac frowned quizzically. "What?" she asked.

"You'll see," he said, smiling.

They entered the shop, and Harm found what he was looking for. He went and spoke to the woman behind the counter, while Mac browsed around, trying on different hats.

She brought a pair of 'Tigger' ears up to the counter, as Harm placed a hat with 'Minnie Mouse' ears on her head, trying it on for size. He smiled when he found that it fit, and then handed it back to the woman behind the counter.

A few minutes later, the woman handed him the hat, smiling, and he paid for all of the items they had, and handed Mac the 'Minnie Mouse' ears.

"Everyone needs a pair of these when they visit Disneyland," he told her, smiling.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him, as she read the embroidered 'Sarah' on hers. "These are wonderful. Didn't you get any?" she asked.

Harm grinned, pulling a pair of 'Mickey Mouse' ears out of the bag, and put them on his head. The name 'Harmon' was embroidered on the back of his.

Mac smiled widely. "Now we need a picture with the famous mice in question, and we'll be all set."

Harm winked at her. "Well then, let's go."


	41. Chapter 41

A/N: Okay, here's another one! Yay for free time! Thanks for the feedback! I really do appreciate any and all comments! Enjoy…

**08:12 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

**Two Days Later**

Harm and Mac entered the house and carried their things upstairs, noting that Miranda wasn't in the crib.

"She's with my mom," Harm assured her. "If they're not downstairs, we'll check my parents' room."

They put their stuff away, and then went downstairs, and found Frank sitting on the sofa, feeding Miranda a bottle, and talking softly to her. He didn't see them, and Harm stopped Mac from disturbing them for just a minute, a small smile on his face, and his eyes moist. Mac realized why he wanted her to wait, and she hugged him around the waist, as they listened to Frank talk to the baby girl.

"You had another grandpa, too," he was saying. "His name was Harmon, just like your new daddy. Like your daddy, he was in the Navy, and he was a pilot. He would have loved you, very much, just like he loved your daddy and your grandma Trish. He was a good man, and you're very lucky that he was a part of your family." He grinned when Miranda smiled at him.

Harm smiled down at Mac, and then they moved into the family room.

"Hi Dad; where's Mom?" Harm greeted.

"Hello you two. Your mother is at the gallery, so Miranda and I are spending some quality time together," he told them, smiling. He looked at Mac. "I suppose you'd like your daughter back?" he asked, a knowing grin on his face.

"If you don't mind," Mac said, returning his smile.

"Of course I don't mind," he said, handing Miranda to Mac, and then handing Mac the 'burp rag'. "She just finished the bottle," he told her.

Mac put the burp rag on her shoulder, and then moved Miranda so she could look at her. "Hello sweetheart, were you a good girl for grandma and grandpa? I missed you," she cooed at the infant.

Miranda smiled at her mother, causing Mac to smile broadly.

"Come say 'hello' Daddy," Mac said to Harm.

Harm moved closer and smiled down at Miranda. "Hello princess," he said, kissing her forehead. "How is Daddy's girl?"

Miranda smiled for him too, and Harm laughed.

Mac moved her up to her shoulder, and started rubbing her back gently.

"How was Disneyland?" Frank asked them.

"It was so much fun!" Mac said. "We had such a great time! Those VIP passes you gave us helped us to get onto all of the rides quicker, and we got to see both parks. Thank you, so much."

"Glad to hear it," Frank said. "And you're very welcome."

Mac heard Miranda's soft burp, and smiled, adjusting the baby girl so that she was cradled in her arms. She looked puzzled as Miranda began 'rooting' and fussing at her.

"You're still hungry?" she asked the baby, surprised. "Okay…"

Frank shrugged. "She's been eating about every three hours," he told her.

Mac looked around, finding Miranda's blanket, and sat down in a chair, tossing it over the two of them, before reaching under it to undo the clasps on her nursing bra and help Miranda, who was beginning to complain in increasing volume, to latch on.

Harm sat down on the sofa near Frank. "So how are you doing?" he asked him.

"Very well, thank you," Frank said, smiling. "What are your plans for today?" he asked.

"We're going to relax today, maybe go down to the beach with Miranda for awhile. Tomorrow we're planning on a trip to Sea World, and we'll take Miranda with us," he told him.

"Sounds like fun," Frank replied. "Would you mind terribly if your mother and I joined you? We haven't been to Sea World in several years."

"Not at all," Harm said, surprised. He looked to Mac, getting her nod of agreement in return. "I think it would be great to spend the day together as a family."

Frank smiled at him. "Thank you," he said. "Oh, if you'd like to take the yacht out while you're here too, let me know. You can make a day of that, as well, if you'd like."

Harm looked at Mac, clearly surprised. "How about it, Mac?" he asked his wife.

Mac smiled. "We'll see," she said. "I'll let you know."

Harm nodded once. "Fair enough," he said.

They talked while Mac finished nursing Miranda, who ate for another twenty minutes total, and then Mac handed her over to Harm, just as Trish arrived home.

"Hello Mom," Harm said, smiling at her, as he gently bounced Miranda up and down, talking softly to her.

"Harm, Mac, how was your trip to Disneyland?" she asked, kissing them both on the cheek, and then kissing her husband 'hello', before leaning forward and kissing her granddaughter on the forehead.

"It was fantastic," Harm smiled. "We had a great time." He looked at Mac suddenly. "We're going to need to go buy a stroller, and a few other baby things, if we're taking her to Sea World with us," he told her.

Mac nodded. "I didn't think about that," she admitted. "When do you want to go?"

"Later today," he replied. "Let's enjoy the beach, and the company, for awhile."

They visited with each other for several hours, passing Miranda around until she finally fell asleep, and then Mac carried her upstairs and put her in the crib for her nap. She stretched and then turned to get their things ready for their afternoon trip to the beach.

Miranda woke up just before lunch time for another feeding, and after Mac had fed her, they had lunch. Then Harm and Mac had put Miranda down again, before deciding they, too, were going to nap for awhile. They woke up when it was time to feed Miranda again, and after she was changed and fed, Harm and Mac changed into their bathing suits.

Harm wore a pair of navy blue board shorts, and a white tank-style t-shirt, and Mac wore a skimpy white bikini with tiny navy blue stars on it. She put a wrap around her waist, and then put on a white top that buttoned up the front.

Harm put the baby carrier on, and then Mac helped him to place Miranda into it, before they grabbed their blanket, the diaper bag, their beach bag, the camera bag, and the small cooler with snacks and drinks.

"Ready?" Harm asked.

Mac smiled and nodded. "Let's go," she said.

**15:23 PST**

**On the Beach**

**La Jolla, CA**

Mac spread out their blanket, and then set their things down, before she helped Harm to take Miranda out of the baby carrier. She put Miranda down on the blanket, and then removed her top, and her wrap, putting them into the beach bag. She slipped her flip-flops off, and then stretched out onto the blanket, watching with appreciation as Harm removed his tank top and placed it into the beach bag.

"Did you put sunscreen on Miranda?" Harm asked, as he set up the beach umbrella his mother insisted he take to shade Miranda with.

"Yes," she replied. "I covered her with it when I changed her diaper and put her sundress on her." She moved so that she was in the sun, and when Harm joined her on the blanket, she began to slather sunscreen all over him.

Harm grinned at her, as she rubbed sunscreen all over his chest. "You know, that's not the best thing to be doing on a public beach."

Mac raised her eyebrows, as she continued to put the sunscreen on his arms, neck, and face. "I could stop," she said.

"No," he answered, closing his eyes. "I don't want you to stop."

She smiled knowingly, as she had him turn over so that she could put some on his back, and then she moved down to do his legs. When she was finished covering him with sunscreen, she handed him the bottle.

"My turn, Sailor," she grinned, kissing his lips briefly.

Harm sat up, and let Mac take his place on the blanket. He looked over at Miranda briefly, to be sure she was still sleeping, and then began putting sunscreen all over his wife.

"You're so gorgeous, Mac," he told her. "I love you so much."

"Why thank you; I love you, too," she said, smiling at him.

He took his time, making sure she was well-covered, and then put the bottle of sunscreen back into the beach bag, before joining her on the blanket.

They just relaxed, enjoying one another's company, the sunshine, and the sea air.

Miranda woke up and began to fuss, so Mac gave her a bottle of water, knowing that it was still too early for her to be hungry again. It was pretty warm outside, and Mac wanted to be sure that she didn't become dehydrated. When Miranda had finished her water, Harm stood, and reached for her.

"C'mere princess," he said.

Mac handed her over to him, and then she stood, too. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"To cool off," he said, smiling.

They walked down to the water, and Harm held firmly to Miranda, as they got into the water about waist-deep. He dipped his hand into the water, rubbing some onto Miranda's exposed arms and legs. Miranda looked startled, but she didn't cry, so Harm did it again.

"You like that, princess?" he asked.

Mac stood in front of him, watching Miranda's reaction to the chilly sea water. She laughed when Miranda smiled at Harm.

"I think she likes it, Daddy," she noted.

"I think so, too," Harm said. "I don't want to overdo it, though; I'm going to take her back to the blanket."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," she told him. "I want to go for a quick swim."

Harm nodded. "Take your time."

Mac swam for a bit, and then came out of the water, heading back towards their blanket. She could hear Miranda crying, and she picked up her pace a bit, not even noticing the appreciative stares she was receiving.

"Hey Mommy!" Harm called. "I think our girl is hungry!" He laughed when a guy who was drooling over Mac got slugged in the ribs by the woman with him. Mac hadn't even noticed, as her full attention was on her family.

Mac sat down on the blanket, and then pulled the beach towel out of the bag, taking Miranda from him and draping the large towel over them so that she could nurse.

"I'm going to run up to the restroom," Harm told her. "Do you need anything?"

Mac shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

Harm kissed her tenderly, before standing and heading towards the restroom. The conversation in front of him caught his attention.

"Can you believe she has an infant?" One of the women in front of him asked her companion.

"I know, and as little as that baby is, it has to be a newborn! She's freakin' hot! Every guy on the beach is drooling over her," the other answered. "And her husband… talk about fine! Oh my god! They're like, the perfect family!"

"I hope they know how totally lucky they are," the first woman said.

Harm stopped at the restroom, and smiled. Yes, he knew _exactly_ how lucky he was, and he thanked God everyday for it.

**22:30 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm climbed into the large bed and snuggled up to his wife, kissing her neck. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too," she said, smiling.

"Are you enjoying our vacation so far?" he asked.

"Mmm… definitely," she replied.

"We're planning an early start tomorrow, is that okay?" he asked.

"Harm, we're up at 05:00 almost every morning; of course it's okay," she said. "Besides, early to your parents is what? 08:00?"

Harm chuckled. "Something like that," he answered, as he nuzzled her neck again.

"Is there something you want, Sailor?" Mac asked, amusement clear in her tone.

"You," he breathed into her ear. "Do you have any idea how turned on I've been by you today? First you putting sunscreen all over me, and then me putting it all over you, then when you came out of the water in that tiny little suit all wet with the sun shimmering on your skin… damn, Mac!"

Mac was glad that the darkness hid her blush. "Really?" she asked softly.

"Really," he assured her. "It doesn't take much for you to turn me on," he told her. "You're so gorgeous… and not just outside, either. You have a beautiful spirit, and you're kind, loving and generous," he whispered, his lips touching the spot below her ear. "I love you, so much."

Mac had to blink back the tears in her eyes, as she turned to face him. "I love you, too," she said.

"Do you remember the time when we were on the USS Watertown, when we weren't really getting along very well, but the Admiral sent us together anyway?" he asked.

"Yeah, I remember," she replied.

"Well, do you remember when those bubbleheads were playing that trick on you, and you gave them a serious dressing down, and when you turned around, you saw me sticking my head out of the top bunk, with a big grin, and you glared at me?" he asked.

Mac frowned in puzzlement. "Yes…"

"You have no idea how turned on I was right then. I wanted nothing more than to climb into your bunk with you, and show you exactly what you were doing to me," he told her.

Mac's eyes were wide. "You're serious?"

Harm sucked gently on her earlobe, his left hand caressing her breast. "Oh, yeah," he told her. "Dead serious. In fact, I ended up… well, you know… while I fantasized about you."

Mac's jaw dropped open. "I had no idea!"

"It's probably a good idea you didn't," he replied. "At that particular point in time, you might just as well have taken me to task for that."

Mac turned in his embrace, pushing him backwards and moving so she was partially on top of him. "I don't know, Harm," she said. "Part of the reason I was so upset with you, was because I wanted you so much, and I didn't think you felt the same way." She kissed him, hard, and then pulled back. "Show me what you wanted to do back then," she whispered against his lips.

Harm grinned. "I think I can manage that."


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: Hello again! Thanks so much for the great feedback! It is really, truly appreciated! As before, the places in this story don't belong to me, just being mentioned for the practical use of allowing my favorite family some fun. Enjoy…

**13:32 PST**

**Sea World**

**San Diego, CA**

Mac sat at a table in the shade, Miranda's blanket covering her while she nursed, and watched her husband and father-in-law with amusement as they discussed the menu for lunch. She glanced at her mother-in-law, and saw a similar expression of amusement on her face, as well. They'd had a great time so far, and had finally stopped for lunch when Miranda had let them know that she was hungry, too.

"I'm telling you Dad, the calamari is going to be better than the salmon," Harm said. "Salmon is out of season, and the calamari is fresh."

"I don't really like calamari that much," Frank said.

"How about the tuna steak?" Harm asked. "That's fresh." He noticed the expressions his wife and mother wore, and grinned sheepishly. "I'm being a pest, aren't I?" he asked.

"Just a bit," his mother replied. "Frank is plenty old enough to choose his own meals, dear," she told him. "He's been doing it for a long time."

Mac stifled a giggle.

Harm looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Something funny, Marine?" he asked.

"No, no," she said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Hmm," was Harm's only reply. "Do you know what you're having?" he asked her.

"The surf 'n turf," she said, smiling.

Harm made a face. "I suppose the 'turf' will be medium rare, as usual?"

"Of course," Mac said. "You really should try it, flyboy. You don't know what you're missing."

Harm shuddered. "No, thanks."

Mac rolled her eyes, and laughed softly. She could tell that Miranda was finished, so she reached under the blanket to adjust her clothing, and then moved the blanket so she could put Miranda up on her shoulder. She patted her back gently, as the waitress arrived to take their orders.

As soon as the waitress was gone, Mac handed Miranda over to Harm, and then she took a sip of her water. "Is that artist you were telling us about on Independence Day still doing as well as he was?" she asked Trish.

"Heavens, yes!" she said. "Even better, actually. His work is in such high demand, he's got back orders for months. You'll have to come to the gallery and see a sample of his work," she told her. "His portraits are especially astonishing."

Mac smiled. "Now I'm really intrigued; are you having a showing anytime while we're here?" she asked.

"Actually, there's one on Monday," Trish replied. "If you and Harm are interested, I'm sure we could find someone to watch Miranda for a couple of hours. I have a friend whose granddaughter baby sits, and she's a very sweet, responsible girl."

"How old is she?" Harm asked.

"Eighteen," Trish replied. "She's going to school to be a nurse, and she's certified in CPR and first aid. If you'd like to meet her, I can invite her for lunch tomorrow."

Harm looked questioningly at Mac. "Would that be okay?"

Mac nodded. "That would be fine. What's her name?"

"Alisha," Trish told her.

The waitress brought their salads, and Harm handed Miranda back to Mac, who put her into the stroller so that she could eat.

They ate and talked, and had a great time, and when they were finished, they headed back out to enjoy the rest of the park.

**17:16 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

**Monday**

Mac smiled at Alisha as she finished nursing Miranda, and then handed her to the young woman. "She just nursed for half an hour, so she should be good for at least two and a half to three hours," she told her. "Depending on how things go, we might be back before then, but there are bottles in the refrigerator just in case."

"Okay," Alisha said, cradling Miranda tenderly. "Are there special heating instructions, since it's breast milk?"

Mac led her to the kitchen, and showed her the bottle warmer. "Just pop it in there, and flip the switch. It usually takes about two minutes to get it to the right temperature, but be sure to shake it well and check it, just in case it's either too hot, or too cold."

"Got it," Alisha said. "Do you want me to bathe her?"

"We already took care of that, so if she falls asleep, you can put her in her crib. The baby monitor is beside it on the changing table, so keep it handy if you lay her down."

"Yes, ma'am," Alisha said. "I have everyone's emergency numbers; anything else?"

"No, that should be it," Mac said, smiling at her. She leaned forward and kissed Miranda. "I love you, sweetheart," she cooed at her. She stood and looked at Alisha. "Thanks for sitting for us."

"No problem, Mrs. Rabb," she said, smiling. "I'll call if I have any questions."

Harm came downstairs, and smiled at Alisha. "All set?" he asked Mac.

"Yeah," Mac said, smiling at the sight of him in his blue-gray, three-piece suit.

He walked over to where Alisha was holding Miranda, and leaned down to kiss his daughter's forehead. "Bye, princess," he said. He stood and winked at Alisha, smiling when she blushed, and then went and put his arm around Mac's waist, leading her towards the door.

"We shouldn't be too late," Mac called over her shoulder.

Harm shook his head, opening the front door. "She'll be fine," he told her, as he led her out the door and to the car, opening her door for her. He paused a moment, admiring the shimmering, gray-blue dress she wore. It hugged all of her curves, and the strapless bodice exposed her long, slender neck, on which she wore a beautiful pearl necklace.

"Harm?" Mac asked, wondering why he'd paused.

"Just admiring how beautiful you are," he said, leaning forward to kiss her deeply. Mac smile=- at him when he pulled away, and allowed him to help her into the car.

Harm climbed into the driver's seat, and started the car. "Ready?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "Absolutely," she said, giving him a soft smile.

**18:02 PST**

**Art Gallery**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm got out of the car, handing his keys to the valet, and then made his way around to open the door for his wife. He helped her out of the car, and put his hand at the small of her back, as they walked into the gallery. He spotted his mother and Frank, standing near the center of the room, and directed Mac towards them.

"Harm, Mac, you're here," Trish smiled broadly. "Come here darlings, I'd like to introduce you to our star artist." She indicated a young man who couldn't have been more than twenty. "Sean Ferguson, this is my son, Captain Harmon Rabb, and his lovely wife, Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie-Rabb," she said to the young man. "Harm, Mac, this is Sean Ferguson."

Sean smiled warmly at them. "It's a pleasure; you're both in the military?" he asked, as he shook their hands.

Harm nodded. "I'm in the Navy, and my wife is a Marine," he replied.

Sean was trying desperately not to ogle Mac, as he inclined his head in their direction. "Thank you both for your service to our country," he said politely. "There are still some of us civilians that appreciate it."

Mac gave him a dazzling smile. "Thank you; please, call me 'Mac'," she said to him, shaking her head politely at the man who offered her a glass of champagne.

"Mac?" Sean asked, as he, too, shook his head at the offer.

"It's a nickname I got in the Marine Corps; it's short for Mackenzie," she explained.

"Ah," he said, smiling and nodding. He looked at Harm. "Your mother tells me you are a fighter pilot."

"On occasion," Harm said, smiling. "Most days I give legal advice to people from the Pentagon to Capitol Hill," he told him.

At Sean's confused look, Mac explained. "We both worked for the Judge Advocate General's office as lawyers. When we got married, Harm transferred to work with the Commander of Naval Operations, and I ended up becoming a judge for a few weeks, before I took time off to take care of our new daughter."

"Sweet," Sean said, smiling. "Are you looking forward to going back to the bench?" he asked Mac.

Mac bit her top lip, looking at Harm as she answered. "I'm… considering my options," she responded, noting Harm's raised eyebrow and broad smile.

"So, Sean, are all of the works here yours?" Harm asked, moving the subject off of them.

"Oh, no," he said, blushing. He indicated a group of pictures not far from where they were standing. "That represents a sampling of my work. Most of what I brought here initially has already sold, and I'm backed up with orders for more," he said modestly. "When I asked Mrs. Burnett to help me sell some of my work, I never imagined this kind of response. It's been a bit overwhelming."

Harm extended his arm to Mac. "Let's go see what all the excitement's about then, shall we?" he asked, smiling. "Please excuse us," he said, to Sean and his parents.

Mac accepted his arm, and smiled at them, before they made their way over to the exhibit. She looked at the first few paintings, and gasped. They were gorgeous. "They're… exquisite," she said softly.

Harm, too, was taken by the work. "Look at this portrait," he told her. "I wonder how much he charges to do these. I would very much like to have one of the three of us done."

Mac was about to protest about the expense, and had to stop when she suddenly realized that they could afford whatever the asking price was. She still wasn't used to the idea that they were wealthy. "It would be nice," she agreed. "We only have a few more days here, and I'm sure it takes weeks, or months, of sittings for him to do this. Besides, he did say he was back-logged with orders."

Harm smiled at her. "I'd be willing to wait," he told her. "Hi Dad," he said, as Frank approached them.

"Harm," Frank acknowledged. "I think your mother would like to speak with you a moment," he told him. "I'll keep Mac company."

Harm kissed Mac briefly. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised.

Mac smiled, nodding. "Okay."

"I hope you're enjoying yourself," Frank said, as he moved closer to where Mac was standing.

"I am, thank you," she told him, as she examined another painting. "How old is Sean?"

"Eighteen," he told her, laughing at her startled look. "Yeah… he's been a bit overwhelmed by the response he's gotten. He is suddenly a very wealthy young man, and I think it sometimes puts him off balance."

Mac smiled sympathetically. "I know how he feels. Harm and I were just discussing ordering a family portrait, and I was almost ready to argue that we couldn't afford it."

Frank smiled tenderly at her. "The two of you haven't allowed the money you inherited to change you. That's a good thing."

"We're trying not to let it," she told him. "It's still sometimes strange to us that we can buy things that we normally wouldn't be able to afford right away, if at all. Did Harm tell you we're purchasing the land around our house so we can build a garage, and maybe expand?"

Frank nodded. "We talked about it while you and Trish were out shopping with Miranda the other day. It's a good investment."

"I'm just happy that we have a beautiful, healthy daughter, and each other," Mac told him, smiling.

Frank agreed, smiling at her. "I get the feeling that you're considering leaving the Marines," he told her.

Mac suddenly looked almost shy. "I'm thinking about it," she admitted. "I joined the Corps when I was at a very bad place in my life, and it helped me not only to get through it, but to strengthen me, and help me to grow up. But after Harm and I got married, and then after we adopted Miranda, there was a hole inside me that was suddenly filled-- a hole I didn't even really realize existed until it wasn't there anymore," she told him. "Suddenly, my life has a whole different set of priorities and goals, and I'm happy being a wife and mother. That's something I never thought I'd find myself saying."

Frank looked at her, his eyes soft and warm. "That, my dear, is what true love is all about."

Mac hugged him and then turned to see Harm was coming back towards them. When he was standing beside her, she put her arm around his waist, and kissed him tenderly.

Frank excused himself, and left them alone.

"How much longer did you want to stay?" she asked Harm.

"My mother wants us to meet some of her friends, but I wasn't planning to stay too late. Why?"

Mac smiled seductively. "Oh, I was just thinking that after we get back to your parents' place, and check on Miranda, we could take a nice hot bath together, and then we could take turns giving each other a massage… and see where we end up from there."

Harm raised an eyebrow and smiled slowly. "I suggest we get these obligatory meetings out of the way quickly then, my love."

"Lead the way, Captain Rabb," she said, winking at him.

Harm gave her the smile that melted her insides, and led her over to where his parents were talking to a few other guests. He _really_ hoped this wasn't going to take long.

**02:13 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Mac opened her eyes when she heard Miranda crying, and was about to move from her position on Harm's chest, when she felt his arm tighten around her, and his lips brushing the top of her head.

"I'll get her," he said softly. "Sleep for awhile; you can take the next feeding."

Mac nodded sleepily, and moved off of him, pulling the covers up over her bare form. She listened to the rustling sound of him pulling on his clothes, and then to him murmuring to Miranda as he picked her up and changed her diaper. She heard him slip out of the bedroom and close the door, and she relaxed.

When she awoke again, she heard Harm singing softly to Miranda, and she realized that more than an hour had passed since he'd gotten up to feed her. She listened to him for several minutes, and then heard him moving a bit, before he slipped back into bed with her.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Yeah, she's fine. I think that she's about had it with vacation, though. She was really fussy, even after I changed and fed her."

"You should have brought her up here," Mac told him. "She seems to like it when we lay her between us for awhile. I think it's comforting to her."

"I'll remember that next time," Harm said, hugging her.

"Harm?" Mac said, after a few minutes of silence. "Would you be terribly disappointed if I resigned my commission and stayed home full-time with Miranda?" she asked.

"Not at all," he told her. "We've had this discussion before, Mac. I want you to do what makes you happy. Whether that's being a full-time mother, or dividing your time between work and home… as long as you're happy with what you're doing, I'll be happy," he assured her, again. "If you do decide to go back to work, I think we should consider a nanny for Miranda, instead of daycare. Since she was premature, I don't like the idea of her being exposed to all of those germs and illnesses. When she's older, she can go to preschool, but for now, I'd feel better if she was at home. Besides, a nanny could bring her to you at work so you could nurse sometimes."

"I think you're right about that," Mac said. "If I decide to go back to work, a nanny would be a much better idea. Would you prefer a live-in, or someone that's just there while we're working?" she asked him.

"Why don't we wait until you've decided whether or not you're going back to work?" he suggested. "I only have four weeks of leave left, and you only have another week after that, so don't wait too long to decide. We'll have to find a nanny before you have to be back, if you decide to return, and if you decide not to return, the General will need notice to find a replacement for you."

"That's true," Mac said. "I guess I should decide soon, then." She was quiet for a minute, and then she sighed.

"You okay?" Harm asked.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to think about," she told him.

"Think later; sleep now," Harm told her. "You still have some time."

Mac stretched up enough to kiss him, and then snuggled down into his arms again, closing her eyes. But try as she might, sleep just wouldn't come.


	43. Chapter 43

A/N: Sorry for the delay… RL rearing its ugly head again! Thanks, as always, for the awesome feedback! Enjoy…

**14:22 EST**

**Somewhere Over the U.S.**

**En Route to D.C.**

**Following Tuesday**

Harm lifted his head and checked his sleeping daughter in the infant seat between him and Mac, and then checked Mac, who was still sleeping, unsure of what had woken him up. The plane lurched suddenly, and he frowned… that didn't feel like the usual turbulence.

He looked towards the front of the plane, and noticed three stewardess' standing close together, having a discussion. When the plane lurched violently again, he stood, and made his way over to the group of stewardess'.

Giving them his best grin, he spoke. "Excuse me, is everything all right?" he asked.

"Everything is fine, sir," a stewardess said, though her eyes didn't show it. "Please, return to your seat."

The plane lurched yet again, causing them all to nearly lose their balance, and Harm looked at them seriously.

"Ma'am, I'm Captain Harmon Rabb, U.S. Navy," he told her. "I'm a pilot, and I know that whatever that was, it was more than just regular turbulence."

The three women exchanged worried glances, before the leader of the group nodded. "Sir, we're having some mechanical issues," she told him. "The Captain has it under control for the moment, but we may have to set down in a hurry, so I really need you to take your seat please."

Harm frowned, and then nodded. "Please keep me informed?" he requested.

She nodded. "When I can," she promised.

Harm took his seat, refastening his seatbelt, and looked at Mac's sleeping form. He debated on whether or not to wake her, as she hadn't slept much the past week, but he realized that if they had to make an emergency landing, it would be better if she was awake, and aware of what was happening. She'd be pissed at him if she found out that he knew there was a problem, and hadn't told her about it.

Gently, he shook her awake. "Mac? Honey?"

Mac stirred and looked at him sleepily. "What is it?" she asked. "Are we in D.C. already?" she asked, and then frowned when her internal clock told her that was impossible. She saw the worry in Harm's eyes, and he looked down at Miranda for a moment, and then back at her. "What's wrong?" she asked, instantly on alert.

Keeping his voice low, so that other passengers wouldn't hear him, he leaned near her. "There's some kind of mechanical issues with the plane, and we may have to set down sooner than Dulles," he told her. "The stewardess said that the Captain has it under control for the moment, but I wanted to make sure you knew what was happening."

Mac's eyes flew to Miranda, and she looked at him with concern. Harm knew that like him, she wasn't worried about her own safety, but that of their daughter and her spouse. Getting herself together, she nodded to him. "Thank you for waking me," she said, taking his hand.

Harm kissed her knuckles. "We don't know what the problem is, Mac, so don't worry too much just yet," he told her.

Mac nodded, but the fear in her eyes never faded.

**14:46 EST**

**Somewhere over the U.S.**

**En Route to D.C.**

The plane lurched suddenly yet again, and there was a loud noise that sounded like an explosion, before the plane started a nose dive. After a few moments, it leveled out, and the Captain's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Elliott; please remain calm. The oxygen masks are dropping now," he said, and they fell from the overhead compartments. "Put them on, and assume crash positions, we're going to have a rough landing," he announced, and the speaker went dead.

Mac's eyes showed a momentary panic, but she quickly got it under control, as she put the oxygen mask onto her face. She saw Harm had already done so as well, and she took the other one and put it over Miranda's face, causing the infant to startle awake and start crying.

Harm and Mac again took one another's hands, squeezing tightly.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too," she said. She leaned over Miranda the best she could, and felt Harm's large body lean over them, as well, his arm around her.

The plane was shaking violently, as it started its descent, and Harm and Mac could only pray, as they braced themselves for the worst.

They felt the impact as the plane touched down, and then it fishtailed wildly, before it finally flipped upside down and rolled, finally coming to a stop.

Harm heard another sound like an explosion, and lots of screaming, as he sat up and looked at Mac. "You alright?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah," Mac said, quickly checking Miranda over. She was screaming in fear, but she seemed unhurt.

Moving quickly, they removed their oxygen masks, and their seatbelts, and Harm undid Miranda's baby seat. Mac grabbed the her purse, and the diaper bag, and they made their way to the exit.

Harm opened the exit, deploying the inflatable slide, and tried to hand Mac Miranda's seat. "You two get off of here, and get away from the plane," he told her. "I'm going to see how I can help!"

Mac looked towards the back of the plane, seeing the smoke. "No," she shook her head. "This thing is on fire, Harm! You're coming with us… you can help outside!"

Harm knew she'd continue to argue with him, so he nodded. "Let's go," he said.

Mac went first, and then Harm was right behind her, as they slid to the ground. Side by side, they moved as far from the plane as they could, seeing emergency personnel already arriving on scene. Harm handed her the baby seat that still held a screaming Miranda.

"Take care of her, I'll be back soon," he said.

"Be careful," Mac said to him, shaking like a leaf, as she set the seat down and unbuckled Miranda, taking her out and holding her close. "Shh, sweetheart, it's going to be okay," she murmured, gently bouncing her up and down.

She followed Harm with her eyes, until he disappeared out of sight. An EMT came up to her, a concerned look in his eyes.

"Are you and the baby alright, ma'am?" he asked.

"We're fine, just shaken up," she told him, with a grateful look. "Go help the others."

He nodded and took off towards a group of people that had just stumbled a few feet away from where Mac was standing.

Mac saw Harm carrying a small child, rushing towards a group of EMTs, and her heart clenched tightly. He left the child with the emergency team, and ran back towards the wreckage. Mac sat down on the ground, cradling Miranda close, as a police officer came up to her.

"Ma'am, are you and your baby okay?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she replied. "Just shaken. Where are we? The pilot didn't have time to tell us where we were landing," she said.

"Near Little Rock, ma'am," he told her.

"Thank you," she said. "We'll be fine for a bit, there are others that need you more," she told him.

"Were you and your baby traveling alone?" he asked.

Mac shook her head, pointing towards Harm, who was just laying a woman on a gurney near an ambulance. "That's my husband," she told him.

They watched as he turned back towards the wreckage of the plane, disappearing from sight again.

"He's a brave man," he commented.

Mac smiled at him, though a bit worriedly. "That he is."

**16:03 EST**

**Crash Site**

**Near Little Rock, AR**

Harm sat beside Mac, his arms wrapped around her, watching as the chaos continued. His cell phone suddenly rang, and he and Mac both jumped, as he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Rabb," he answered. "Mom! Yes, we were on the plane, but we're fine. I promise Mom, all three of us are okay. We're still at the crash site; they're sending a bus to pick up everyone that didn't need to go to the hospital. No, I don't know yet. Yeah, please do that; we love you both, too." He snapped the phone shut and looked at Mac.

"She saw the crash on the news?" she guessed, still cuddling Miranda, who was finally sleeping, close.

Harm nodded. "It's on every major network," he told her. "She figured she'd try my cell, and hope for the best."

Mac shivered slightly. It wasn't cold out, in fact, it was getting downright hot, even here in the shade. "I'm glad she was able to get through."

A large tour bus pulled up several hundred yards away, and Harm finally stood. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he said, helping her up, and grabbing the baby seat, that now held the diaper bag and Mac's purse.

They made their way to the bus, quickly finding seats as soon as they were aboard. As soon as all of the passengers that were going to be on the bus were loaded, a woman stood up in front.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Sue Ellen Davidson. I represent the airline, and we will be transporting you all to the Little Rock Courtyard Marriott, where we will be putting you all up until we can make arrangements to get you to your final destinations. As soon as clean up crews are finished, we will be forwarding any belongings of yours that we recover to you, so please be patient with us. You will also be informed the minute we find out the cause of the malfunction that caused the crash," she stated. Nodding to the driver, she took her seat and they were on their way.

**18:36 EST**

**Little Rock Courtyard Marriott**

**Little Rock, AR**

Harm closed the door to their room, and watched as Mac gently laid Miranda on the large bed, before lying down beside her. She had been unusually quiet, and he was beginning to worry about her.

"Would you like to take a shower?" he asked her softly, as he sat beside her on the bed.

Mac shook her head.

"Are you hungry?" he tried.

Again, she only shook her head.

"Mac? Honey, talk to me," he said, placing his palm on her arm. He could suddenly feel her shaking like a leaf, her body quaking with sobs. "Aw, Mac," he said softly, lying beside her and pulling her into his arms, spooning her to him.

"I was so scared," she said, turning so that she was facing him, and burying her head against his chest, under his chin. "We could have all died today, or I could have lost you and Miranda," she said, still sobbing. "I couldn't have lived with that."

Harm hugged her close. "I know, I know," he soothed. "I felt the same way."

Mac cried for a few more minutes, finally quieting. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Don't be," Harm told her, kissing her forehead. "I should be the one apologizing," he told her. "I'm sure my running into the midst of the chaos, instead of staying with you and Miranda, didn't help matters any."

Mac gave him a watery smile. "It's who you are," she said softly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. If I hadn't had to stay with Miranda, I would have been right in the middle of it with you."

Harm smiled, knowing it was true. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied. She heard Miranda stirring behind her. "We don't have anything to change into once we get cleaned up," she told him. "All of our things were on the plane."

"I'm going to run to the store and get a few essentials," he told her. "Why don't you feed Miranda, and then rest a bit, and I'll be back soon."

Mac kissed him softly. "Hurry," she said.

"I will," he promised.

**20:51 EST**

**Little Rock Courtyard Marriott**

**Little Rock, AR**

"Harm?" Mac called from the bathroom. "Can you come get Miranda, please?"

Harm got up off of the bed where he'd been watching the evening news about the plane crash, and flipped off the television. Stepping into the bathroom, he held out a bath towel. "C'mere princess," he said, smiling. He leaned down enough for Mac, who was sitting in the bathtub holding their slippery infant, to hand her to him.

Wrapping her in the towel, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed, drying her off and putting on her diaper. He then rubbed her down with the lavender scented baby lotion, and dressed her in the Onesie™ and the pajamas he'd bought for her at the store.

As he was dressing her, he was talking softly to her, his heart warming whenever she smiled. "I love you," he said, smiling and kissing her forehead. He could hear that Mac had shut the shower off, and so he stretched out on the bed beside her, gently rubbing her tummy and still talking to her.

Mac stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in her towel, and watched him for a few minutes, smiling. She shivered when she again thought about how she could have lost them today, and she silently thanked God that they were all still alive and together. There were many families today that weren't as lucky.

"I love you," Harm cooed to Miranda again.

"Ooh," Miranda imitated him.

Harm's eyes widened. "Mac!" he called.

"Right here," she said, moving to the other side of the bed, smiling as she sat down. "Do that again," she encouraged.

Harm smiled, nodding. "I love you," he cooed at her.

Miranda smiled. "Ooh," she imitated again.

Mac couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up. "Mi-ran-da," she sing-songed, causing the infant to look at her. "I love you," she said, her pitch higher than a normal speaking voice would be.

Miranda smiled at her. "Ooh," she mimicked.

"I can't believe it!" Mac exclaimed, excited. She looked at Harm, and saw that he, too, was excited by this new development. "We need--" she stopped, suddenly saddened. "The video camera…" she finished. "It was on the plane."

"Good thing we made copies for my mom before we left her house," he said. "If they don't recover it, we can get copies from her, and we can always buy a new camera," he told her.

Mac nodded. "That's true," she agreed. "I guess we can always tape this another time."

"Yeah, we can," he said, smiling at her.

Mac kissed Miranda's forehead, and then looked at him. "Let me get dressed, and then we can go get something to eat," she said.

Harm smiled, nodding. He stood as she went into the bathroom, and then lifted Miranda into his arms, cuddling her close, kissing her softly again. Placing Miranda into the infant seat, he strapped her in and then put his shoes on. He had just finished checking the diaper bag's supplies, when Mac came out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

"Where would you like to eat?" he asked, smiling at how lovely she looked. His smile faded when he saw she seemed upset. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she murmured, slipping her shoes on.

Harm moved to her, pulling her to him. "Honey, tell me what's wrong," he implored.

Mac shrugged. "After today, it seems so silly," she said quietly.

"It's okay," he assured her. "Tell me, please?"

"I've gained some weight," she mumbled. "You bought the right size, but my jeans were nearly too tight to button and zip up."

Harm looked concerned. "Are you sure I got you the right ones?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "Yeah," she assured him. "I've just put on a little weight, that's all."

"You haven't increased your calories, and we've been exercising regularly… how is that possible?" he asked.

Mac shrugged again. "Who knows? It's just a girl thing," she told him. "Guess I'll have to work out a little more, that's all."

Harm cupped her face, and brushed his lips tenderly against hers. "I love you," he said, his eyes showing her he meant it.

Mac smiled softly. "I love you, too," she said. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Not if it's important to you, no," he told her. "But I can't tell the difference, you still look as gorgeous to me as ever."

Mac kissed him again. "We could always skip dinner," she suggested.

"Not on your life, Marine," he said, smiling. "We haven't eaten since before we left La Jolla this morning. I'm starving!"

Mac laughed. "Okay, but we can pick this up again later, right?"

Harm gave her a seductive grin. "Count on it."


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: Hello at long last! UGH! I HATE working! Even though I'm only scheduled a few days a week, it really sucks, because it takes me away from my first love, which is writing. On top of that, my laptop died, so I've been fighting my husband for computer time! THANK YOU to all of you for your great feedback! I really appreciate it. It helps me to stay motivated to continue this tale… which has turned into a novel! I promise to write as time permits! Enjoy…

**22:41 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Thursday**

Harm hung his keys up on the key rack near the garage door, as Mac carried Miranda into the family room and sat on the sofa with a sigh. He joined her a moment later.

"Tired?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "Miranda should be getting hungry soon," she noted.

"Why don't you let me bathe her, while you relax for awhile?" he suggested.

"Harm, no," Mac protested. "You've done most of the driving the last two days. I'll go and bathe her, and then feed her. You can come up when it's time to tuck her in."

Wednesday afternoon, after finally getting tired of dealing with the airline's bureaucracy, Harm had told the 'liaison' that he and Mac would be renting a car and driving home, and that they could forward their luggage to them there. He had then gone and rented a car for a one-way trip home, and loaded up his family. They had stopped overnight at a hotel, and then had started out again this morning.

They'd received a few phone calls from their friends, making sure they were okay, and asking if they needed anything, and fussing over having seen Harm on the news helping other survivors and the rescue crews, over the last few days. Harm's parents had called twice to make sure that they were alright, as well.

"If you're sure," Harm said, rubbing her cheek with the back of his index finger. "You look exhausted."

Mac smiled wanly. "I am; but so are you. Let's get what we need to do accomplished, so we can hit the rack. We have to take Miranda to her doctor's appointment tomorrow."

"All right," he agreed. "Let me know if you need any help."

"I will," Mac said, standing and carrying Miranda upstairs.

A few minutes later, Harm was carrying the small suitcase he'd purchased when he'd bought them some new clothes upstairs, when he heard Miranda's cries of protest, as Mac woke her up to bathe her. He quickly unpacked the suitcase, tossing the dirty clothes into the laundry hamper, and then he went back downstairs to unpack Miranda's diaper bag.

When he was finished, he went into the den, picking up the stack of mail on his desk and quickly sorting through it. Determining that there wasn't anything that couldn't hold off for a day or two, he went back upstairs, seeing Mac sitting in the rocker, nursing Miranda. He sighed happily. At last, his family was home, safe and sound.

Mac rocked Miranda back and forth gently, as she nursed, contentedly watching her baby girl. She softly hummed her favorite lullaby to her, as she reveled in the quiet moment, and the bond created between them.

Harm finished getting ready for bed, and kneeled beside the rocker, kissing the top of Miranda's head. He allowed his fingers to lightly ruffle through the soft curls.

"She getting a lot more hair," he noted.

Mac smiled. "Yeah, and it is definitely going to be curly," she replied. "Have you noticed the red highlights in it, when she's in the sun?"

"Mmm, hmm," he said simply.

"Her eyes are changing, too," she said. "But I can't tell if they're going to be brown, or green."

"They could go either way," Harm said. "Donny's eyes were brown, and Harmony's were blue-green."

Mac smiled, nodding. "She's beautiful."

"That she is," he agreed, again kissing the top of Miranda's head. He stood and bent over to kiss Mac, and then moved to the bed, picking up a book he'd picked up in a store on the way home.

Mac continued nursing until Miranda finally fell asleep, and then she adjusted her clothing and stood, carrying Miranda over to Harm. "Say goodnight Daddy," she said quietly.

Harm set the book aside for a moment, and kissed Miranda carefully. "Good night, princess," he whispered. "I love you."

Mac carried her over and placed her into the crib, and then went into the bathroom to prepare herself for bed. When she was finally finished, she climbed into bed beside Harm, yawning once.

"Let me finish this paragraph, and I'll shut out the light," Harm told her.

Mac smiled at him. "Okay."

As soon as he finished reading, Harm marked his place, and placed the book on the night table, shutting the light off and turning to face his wife. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she told him.

In no time at all, they had both fallen asleep.

**09:33 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Dr. Neal knocked on the door and entered, smiling at them as she took a seat on the stool beside the exam table.

"How was your vacation?" she asked. "Apart from the plane crash," she amended.

Harm and Mac exchanged surprised glances and then shrugged. Harm had been all over the new for his assistance to the other passengers, and they had even shown a clip of him sitting with Mac and Miranda once the emergency crews had insisted that he needed to be with his family.

"Great," Mac smiled. "We had a lot of fun."

Miranda began to fuss, and squirm, so Mac placed her finger in her hand and murmured soothingly to her.

"Any new developments?" Dr. Neal asked, turning her attention to Miranda.

"She's awake a bit more than she was, and one night when Harm was saying 'hello' to her, she imitated the 'oh'… and she's still only eating every three hours, but she's eating for twenty to thirty minutes at a time, sometimes longer."

Dr. Neal smiled, nodding. "Good; right on schedule, then," she said, beginning her examination. She quickly, and methodically checked Miranda over, listening to her heart and lungs, checking her ears, nose, eyes and throat, and testing her joints and reflex responses. She cooed a bit at her, and grinned when she received a smile in return.

"Excellent," she said, gently rubbing Miranda's tummy. "You have a very healthy little girl here," she told them. "She's developing normally, and I don't see any residual effects from her being premature. She gained 18 ounces, which isn't much, but is still healthy; next visit we'll discuss slowly introducing solid foods to her."

Harm and Mac exchanged relieved smiles, as they watched Dr. Neal finish her exam.

She turned Miranda over onto her stomach, and watched as the infant lifted her head off of the table to look around.

"Excellent," she murmured again. "Well," she began, as she again turned Miranda over onto her back, "do you have any questions for me?"

"Well, according to the baby book I've got, she should be able to turn over by now, but she hasn't," Mac said. "Is that because she was premature?"

Dr. Neal nodded, smiling reassuringly. "Miranda was six weeks early, so even though she's what… fourteen… weeks old, she's only actually eight weeks old developmentally. That, and the fact that all babies develop at different rates; babies rarely follow the textbook's rules. If she isn't rolling over by the time of her next visit, then we'll possibly need to consider running some tests. Anything else?"

Mac shook her head, and gave Harm a questioning look."No, I can't think of anything," he said, smiling. "Thank you, Dr. Neal."

She smiled again. "You're very welcome," she told them, then she gave them an apologetic look. "Now comes the hard part; I have to send Nancy in to give Miranda her vaccinations. You might want to dress her before that, Mommy," she said, giving Mac an understanding look when she saw her cringe at the idea of Miranda getting shots. "I'll see you in two months."

They said goodbye and she left the room. Mac dressed her squirming daughter, and then held her close as Nancy entered the room, giving them an apologetic smile.

"I really hate this part of the job," she told them. "But, unfortunately, it's necessary."

Mac and Harm nodded in understanding.

"If you'll lay her on the table, I'll do this as quickly as I can," she told Mac.

Mac bit her lip, and did as instructed, bracing herself for what was to come.

Nancy quickly administered the vaccines, and then moved away, nodding to Mac to pick up the now screaming baby girl. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," she said softly.

Mac scooped Miranda up and cuddled her close, murmuring soothingly to her. "It's okay, sweetheart, Mommy's here," she said. "I'm so sorry." She gently rocked her back and forth, talking to her in soft, comforting tones.

"Take your time," Nancy told them. "You can checkout whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Nancy," Harm replied, smiling gently at the nurse, just before she left the room. He moved to where Mac was trying to console Miranda.

"It's okay princess," he murmured, kissing her head.

As she was comforted by her parents, Miranda's cries slowly became soft whimpers, and then eventually subsided altogether. Harm looked down at her, and then smiled softly at Mac, kissing her forehead.

"She's asleep," he told her. "Let's take her home."

Mac breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. They gathered up their things and left the doctor's office, glad to be heading home.

**19:44 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm moved the soapy washcloth over Miranda, talking softly to her, while Mac stood silently watching him from the doorway, a large smile on her face.

"Daddy's girl is going to be all clean, huh?" he cooed. "Then Mommy can feed you, and you can go night-night, and then Mommy and Daddy can have some time alone. Is that okay with Daddy's angel?"

Miranda smiled and kicked her legs, waving her arms about.

Harm smiled at her. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" He blew a raspberry with his lips, and then wrinkled his nose at her, making funny faces, and laughing every time Miranda smiled and splashed with her arms and legs.

"Okay," he finally said, after he'd finished washing her. "Daddy's had a shower, so I think we're done," he laughed, looking down at his soaked t-shirt. "Let's get you dried off and ready for bed."

Mac finally entered the bathroom. "How's it going in here?" she asked. She walked over and kissed Miranda, whose face was just sticking out from beneath the towel.

"Great," Harm told her. "We were just about to go and get our jammies on."

"Need any help?" Mac asked, following him into the bedroom to the changing table, where he gently laid Miranda down and started drying her off.

"I think we're good," he told her, smiling.

Mac sat down in the rocking chair and watched him, a contented smile on her face. Harm was a terrific father, and he seemed to fall into the role with astonishing ease.

As soon as he had Miranda diapered and dressed for bed, he combed her hair with the tiny baby brush, and then lifted her up and gave her a kiss.

"Hungry princess?" he asked, as handed her to Mac.

Mac took her from him, cradling her close, as she lifted her shirt and unhooked the nursing bra, helping Miranda to latch on. As soon as Miranda was settled, and nursing happily, she looked at Harm, who had pulled a nearby chair closer to her.

"I've decided that I'm going to resign my commission," she told him softly.

Harm was silent a minute, studying her face. "If you're sure that's what you want to do."

Mac met his gaze. "I'm sure. I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but being a wife and mother means more to me than any career ever could."

Harm smiled softly at her. "Have you written your letter of resignation?" he asked.

Mac nodded slowly. "I'm going to deliver it on Monday," she told him. "I feel bad that you left JAG, when you didn't really have to."

Harm shook his head. "It was a good career move," he assured her. "I can't stay at JAG forever, hoping that I might 'inherit' the Admiral's job when he finally retires. It doesn't work that way."

Mac smiled at him. "No… it doesn't."

"I love you," he said, his intense gaze telling her all that was in his heart.

"I love you, too," she said, blushing.

Harm stood, and leaned forward to kiss first Mac, and then Miranda. "I have some work to do in the den, but it shouldn't take me too long. Come and get me when you get Miranda settled."

Mac smiled and nodded. "I will."

She watched as he walked out of the bedroom, and then she looked down at Miranda, who was gazing up at her with an intense look of concentration on her small features.

"Well, sweetheart," she murmured. "It looks like we're going to have lots of time together."

Miranda smiled briefly, before returning to the serious task of eating.


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: Okay, I have to work this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), so I probably won't be able to post again until next week (though I am going to make the effort!). Thanks so much for the great feedback, and all of the encouragement! Enjoy…

**08:00 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**Monday**

Harm and Mac entered the bullpen of JAG HQ, Mac dressed in her Marine greens, and Harm dressed in civvies. Harm was carrying Miranda, so as not to risk Mac getting anything on her uniform. They were immediately surrounded by their former colleagues, everyone wanting to see Miranda, and say hello to Harm and Mac.

"Harm, Mac! What brings you by?" Bud asked, surprised, as he came out of his office. At the last moment, he remembered that Mac was in uniform, and came to attention. "Ma'am!" he said.

Mac chuckled. "As you were, Bud. I'm here to see my CO, and Harm and Miranda decided to tag along to say 'hello' to the family." She looked at Harm. "I need to run upstairs; I'll be back as soon as I can."

Harm nodded, winking at her. "Good luck, Marine."

Bud grinned broadly, as he leaned forward and began talking to Miranda, using the higher-pitched tone adults often assume when speaking to infants and small children. "How is Uncle Bud's little angel, huh?" he asked. "You're such a pretty girl; yes you are." He laughed when she smiled at him. "She smiled at me!" he exclaimed.

Harm smiled at his friend, just as he noticed the Admiral coming towards them.

Admiral Chegwidden came out of his office, and smiled when he saw Harm standing in the center of the bullpen with Miranda.

"Captain, what brings you by today?" he asked.

"Mac needs to speak with her CO, and we thought we'd bring Miranda by to see everyone," he told him. "Would you like to hold her, sir?"

"I'd love to Captain," he said, grinning. He accepted his 'granddaughter' from him and cradled her in his arms. "How is Grampa AJ's girl today?" he asked.

Miranda gave him a big smile.

"When is her Christening?" Bud asked Harm, studiously ignoring the fact that his CO was melting at the sight of the tiny girl smiling at him.

"Saturday," Harm replied.

"Have you chosen her godparents yet?" he asked, eyeing the Admiral as he made funny faces at the small girl.

"Working on it," Harm said, smiling. "We have so many good friends, it's been hard to make a firm decision."

"I understand," Bud said.

"You'd better take her, Captain," Admiral Chegwidden said. "I have a meeting in five."

Harm smiled, accepting his daughter from his former CO and kissed her forehead. "We'll see you later, sir," he said.

"Yes, you will," Chegwidden nodded and disappeared into his office a moment later.

"I'd better get back to work, too," Bud said. "I'll see you later."

"See you later, Bud," Harm said. He turned around to find Sturgis standing there. "Hey Sturgis," he greeted his friend.

"Hello Harm," Sturgis said, smiling down at Miranda. "How is Miss Miranda today?"

Miranda looked up at Sturgis with wide eyes.

"She's doing good," he replied. "We had a rough weekend, since she had to get her shots on Friday, but she's feeling much better today."

"What brings you down to JAG?" Sturgis asked, grinning broadly when he saw Miranda smile at him.

"Mac had to go speak to her CO," Harm replied. "She's decided to resign her commission, to stay home to be a full time wife and mother."

Sturgis looked surprised at this news. "She came to this decision on her own?"

"All her idea," Harm confirmed. "I told her it was completely her decision, and I'd support her no matter what she chose to do."

Sturgis looked at his long-time friend in silence for a few moments. "I am very impressed with you, Harm," he said. "That takes a lot of maturity."

Harm smiled at him. "Yeah… I've come a long way, haven't I?"

Sturgis grinned and nodded.

Mac came up to them just then, and placed her hand on Harm's back. "What are you two boys doing?" she asked.

"Oh, just talking," Harm said, smiling at her. "How did your meeting go?"

"Fine," she said. "He was disappointed, but he understood. He asked me to consider going into the reserves, and only coming back on a case-by-case basis; he'll hold my resignation for a couple of days, to allow me to decide."

"Do you think you might want to do that?" Harm asked.

"Possibly, but I'm not sure," she said.

Harm nodded. "Well, it's still your decision," he told her.

Mac smiled at him. "Thanks, Harm; that means a lot to me."

**16:30 EST**

**Navy Chapel**

**Washington, DC**

**Saturday**

Harm and Mac stood side by side, smiling at their gathered family and friends. Harm's parents had flown in yesterday, as had Grammy Sarah. Mattie was in attendance, as were the Roberts' family, Sturgis and Varese, Admiral Chegwidden, The Mattoni family, Jennifer Coates, and the rest of their JAG family.

Chloe had been unable to attend, as school was starting for her on Monday, but Harm and Mac had promised to send lots of pictures.

The minister smiled at the assembled group, as he nodded to Harm to hold her over the baptismal font. "I baptize you, Miranda Joy Rabb, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen," he said, sprinkling her auburn curls with the water.

"Amen," everyone repeated after him, as Miranda began to protest.

Harm watched as Mac dried her head, and then he held her close, kissing her cheek. "It's okay, princess," he murmured.

"We need a picture of you three with her godparents," Trish said, smiling.

Harm and Mac smiled, as Bud and Harriet joined them, and Harm handed Miranda to Bud. He then turned and put his arm around his wife, and they all smiled for the photo.

As soon as all of the photos were finished, Harm announced that they were having the reception at their house, and everyone should meet there.

Half an hour later, everyone was gathered in the rose garden at the Rabb home, laughing, talking, and having a great time.

Miranda was passed around for a short time, but she soon began to fuss, so Mac took her and placed her in the Snugly™ to shield her from the crowd, and comfort her.

Harm had hired a caterer, so that everyone could enjoy the festivities without having to worry about cooking, or cleaning up afterwards.

Mac sat down in a chaise lounge and put her head back, closing her eyes as she gently rubbed Miranda's back.

"Tired?" Harm asked, sitting in a chair beside her.

Mac nodded. "I don't know why," she replied. "I've been getting plenty of sleep, and we haven't really done anything this week."

"Maybe your new workout routine is too much?" he suggested.

Mac shrugged. "Maybe. It's not really working, anyway," she told him. "My clothes still don't fit right."

Trish, who was sitting nearby looked at Harm. "Mac, darling," she said softly. "Have you considered the possibility that you might be pregnant?"

Mac's head snapped up and she looked at her mother-in-law. "No… that can't be it," she said, more to herself. "I don't have any of the symptoms."

"Except being exhausted even after eight solid hours, and your clothes not fitting even though you've been exercising," Harm said. "And the only weight you've gained is in your abdominal area… right?"

"But I should have morning sickness, and… aren't there other symptoms?" she asked, unwilling to believe that she could have gotten pregnant this soon.

Trish moved closer, keeping her voice low. "When was your last menstrual period?" she asked.

"I haven't had one since the second month I started nursing Miranda," Mac told her. "Dr. Martindale said that was completely normal; many nursing mothers don't have periods."

Trish nodded. "Not all women experience morning sickness," she told her.

Mac looked at Harm, eyes wide. "Maybe we should find out for sure."

Harm smiled, nodding. "It would be a good idea."

"I guess the worst that can happen, is that I take a pregnancy test and it comes back negative," she said softly, still unable to believe that she could possibly be pregnant already.

"Then we would just have to keep trying," Harm agreed, a large smile on his face.

Mac blushed, and glanced at his mother, before nodding.

"As soon as our guests have gone, I'll run to the store and get a home test kit," she told him, looking down at Miranda, as the infant started rooting, indicating she was hungry.

She had Harm help her get Miranda out of the Snugly™, and then cradled her in her left arm. "Hand me the blanket, please?" she asked Harm.

Harm did as she asked, and Mac covered up so that she could nurse.

Jimmy came up and stood beside Mac, looking at the blanket with a frown.

"Wha' you doin' Auntie Mac?" he asked.

Mac smiled at him. "I'm feeding Miranda," she told him.

"Why you cover up?" he asked. "It is hot!"

"Because Miranda doesn't like people watching her eat," Mac said, unable to think of another explanation that would satisfy the youngster.

"She better get over that!" he exclaimed.

Harm, Mac and Trish laughed.

"Maybe when she's a little bigger," Mac told him.

Jimmy nodded. "Yeah."

"Jimmy! Come here and eat your ice cream!" Little AJ called to his brother.

"Bye!" Jimmy said, turning and running towards his brother.

A short time later, the crowd began to thin. Harm and Mac made sure to say goodbye to each person as they were leaving, thanking them for attending.

When the last guest was gone, and Harm was supervising the caterers' departure, Mac took Miranda inside and placed her into her swing, before looking at Trish.

"Would you mind watching her while Harm is busy?" she asked. "I need to run to the store."

Trish smiled at her. "Of course I wouldn't mind; take your time."

"Thanks," Mac said, giving her a wan smile and collecting her purse and keys.

**21:17 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac came out of the bathroom and rubbed her palms on her shorts, sighing. She sat down on the bed to wait, nervously wringing her hands.

Harm came into the room, carrying a sleeping Miranda. "Do you want to say goodnight?" he asked.

Mac nodded, and stood, moving over to stand beside the cradle. She kissed Miranda's forehead. "Good night, sweetheart," she murmured softly.

Harm kissed his daughter goodnight as well, and then placed her into the cradle. He rocked it gently as she stirred slightly, smiling when she quickly settled back into sleep, and then looked at his wife.

"Did you start the test?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"Do you want to come downstairs with the rest of us to wait?" he asked.

"No," Mac said, shaking her head.

"Do you want me to wait with you?"

"Please?"

"How much longer?"

"Four minutes, twenty-two seconds," she said automatically.

Harm smiled at that. "Okay."

They sat in tense silence, Harm holding Mac's hand, and watching the myriad of expressions cross her face. After several minutes, she took a deep breath and looked into his eyes.

"It's time," she said, rising.

Harm stopped outside the bathroom door. "Do you want me to come in with you?"

Mac hesitated and then nodded, before entering the bathroom.

Harm followed her in, and smiled when he saw not one, but three, tests sitting on the bathroom counter. Each one was different, and Mac picked up the first test, and looked at it. He couldn't read her expression, but he could see that the end of the plastic stick she held was pink. Setting that one down, she picked up the next one. This one was a small vial, and the liquid inside was blue. Again, he couldn't read her expression. Finally, she picked up another plastic stick, and looked at it, and her eyes filled with tears.

"Mac?" he asked softly.

Mac held up the stick for him to see the little black plus sign. "It's positive," she said in awe. "They're all positive." She blinked at him, a few tears spilling onto her cheeks. "I'm pregnant." She looked up at him, her face splitting into a beautiful grin. "We're pregnant!"

Harm had stood in shocked silence, watching the play of emotions on Mac's face, unable to fully register what he was hearing. At Mac's joyful exclamation, he smiled broadly, pulling her close to him and kissing her deeply. Looking at her when he pulled away, he smiled. "Are you happy?" he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

Mac laughed, hugging him tightly. "I'm thrilled!" she said. "I can't believe we got pregnant that quickly."

Harm kissed her forehead. "Neither can I, but I'm not going to complain."

"Me neither," Mac agreed. She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. "Let's go tell the family."

Harm nodded, as she started towards the bathroom door. Just before they reached the bedroom door, Harm grabbed her hand and pulled him back to her, kissing her deeply again. "I love you," he told her.

Mac smiled tenderly at him. "I love you, too."

They walked down the stairs hand in hand, to find Frank, Trish, Grammy and Mattie sitting in the family room. Grammy was teaching Mattie to knit, while Trish and Frank were reading. They all looked up when Harm and Mac came downstairs.

"Well?" Trish asked, smiling.

Mac looked at Harm and nodded, smiling.

Harm grinned broadly. "We're going to have a baby," he announced.

"Oh my god!" Mattie exclaimed, jumping up from the sofa and running over to hug them both. She was soon followed by the rest of the family, and they received a hug from each one of them.

"Congratulations, Son, Sarah," Frank said, smiling.

"I'm so happy for you!" Grammy exclaimed.

"Oh, Harm, Mac, this is so exciting," Trish said.

"How are you feeling Mac?" Mattie asked, once they'd all sat back down.

Mac shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. Physically, I feel fine; just a little tired. I don't think it has really sunk in yet."

Trish smiled. "That's normal, dear. It will sink in soon enough."

"How about you, Harm? How do you feel about this?" Grammy asked.

"I'm ecstatic," he grinned. "Though, I'm a bit worried about having a toddler and an infant at the same time. We may never get any sleep again!"

Mac smiled wanly at him.

They sat and talked for another hour, and then everyone headed to bed. Mattie was sleeping on the sofa in the living room, Trish and Frank had the apartment again, and Grammy was once again in the guest room.

As soon as everyone was settled, Mac and Harm went into their own room. Harm slipped into bed wearing nothing but his boxers, and pulled Mac close to him, nuzzling her neck.

"So, Mommy, now we'll have two little ones to keep us busy," he said. "We'd better take advantage of all the alone time we can get."

Mac chuckled softly, wrapping one hand in his hair, and rubbing his chest lightly with the other. "Mmm, I think you're right, Sailor," she said, keeping her voice low. "We should start right now."

Harm pulled back, smiling down at her. "I think I can live with that," he whispered, before pulling her to him again for a deep kiss.


	46. Chapter 46

A/N: Hi all! Sorry, I didn't get any time to write these past few days. I'm going try to work on more on my days off, so hopefully I will get a couple of chapters out. Thanks so much for all of the great feedback! I really appreciate it! Enjoy...

**09:08 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Wednesday **

Harm stifled a grin as he watched Mac shiver while she sat wearing a paper gown, and sitting on the exam table.

"I see nothing funny about this situation," Mac said sourly.

"I was just remembering back a couple of months ago when we were in here… you were cold then, too," he said.

Mac shook her head. "I don't know why it has to be so damn icy in here," she muttered. "It's like the frickin' arctic."

"Suck it up Marine," he grinned.

"You won't be able to call me that much longer," she told him pointedly.

"Once a Marine, always a Marine," Harm said. "Whether or not you've retired. But you're right; I'll have to find something other than Marine or Jarhead to call you."

Mac raised an eyebrow at him. "Tread lightly, Squid," she warned.

Harm gave her a mischievous look, and then laughed. "Duly noted," he said, winking at her, and then leaning forward to kiss her lightly.

Dr. Martindale chose that moment to knock on the door and then enter. "Hello there," she said. "I have to say I was surprised to see your file up today. What can I do for you?"

Mac smiled a bit hesitantly. "I took three home pregnancy tests, and they all came back positive," she told her.

Dr. Martindale looked surprised. "Well, they're usually pretty accurate, but let's find out for sure, shall we? Did we already get a urine sample from you?"

Mac nodded. "First thing when I got here; and they took blood, too," she replied.

"Good," Dr. Martindale smiled. "Lie back and scoot as far forward as you can."

Mac did as instructed, and reached for Harm's hand, smiling at him.

Dr. Martindale quickly did the pelvic exam, and discarded her gloves. As she washed her hands, she looked at Mac. "You haven't had a period since you started nursing, have you?" she asked.

"Not since about the second month," Mac replied.

Dr. Martindale moved back to the exam table and lifted Mac's gown enough to measure from the top of her pubic bone to just below her navel. "What made you think you might be pregnant, then?" she asked. "Have you been nauseous?"

Mac shook her head. "I haven't really had any symptoms, except being tired. My pants and skirts no longer fit right, even though I've been exercising, so my mother-in-law suggested that I might be pregnant. I took the home tests, and when they all came back positive, I thought I'd better come see you."

Dr. Martindale smiled at her, nodding. "I need to go get my ultrasound machine," she told her. "We need to find out exactly how far along you are."

"You mean I really am pregnant?" Mac asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, you really are pregnant," Dr. Martindale said. "Honestly, I'm surprised it happened so fast, but mine is not to question how or why. Congratulations."

Mac had tears in her eyes, as she looked at Harm. She smiled when she saw that he, too, had tears in his eyes. "Thank you," she said softly to the doctor.

"Let me go get my ultrasound equipment, and we'll have a look at that baby," she told them. "I'll be right back."

She disappeared out of the room and Harm and Mac looked at each other.

"I can't believe this," Mac said, smiling. "I'm so happy."

Harm nodded. "I know; me, too," he said.

"Are you going to call your mom?" Mac asked him.

"Not until later," he replied. "Miranda is probably just about ready to go down for a nap. They can wait until we get home."

Dr. Martindale returned, pulling the ultrasound machine in with her, and quickly set it up. After squirting some lubricating jelly on Mac's lower abdomen, she took the transducer and began moving it around, watching the screen intently.

She frowned once, moving it around again, and then looked at Harm and Mac, before looking back at the screen and frowning in concentration again. Then her eyebrows rose into her hairline and she smiled in surprise.

"Well, hello…" she said quietly. She looked at the anxious couple and gave them a quirky smile. "I have an even bigger surprise for you two, it seems," she told them. "There are three embryos here," she said, waiting for that to sink in.

Mac's eyes widened at the same moment Harm's did. "Three?" she squeaked. "As in, triplets?"

Dr. Martindale nodded. "Yes ma'am. You are going to have triplets… unless you would like to consider selective reduction," she added hesitantly.

"No!" Mac and Harm exclaimed at once.

"Sorry," Mac said, smiling. "We were just getting used to the idea of having one baby… having three is a major shock to the system."

"I bet," Dr. Martindale replied, returning Mac's smile. "Well, since you're going to have multiples, especially coupled with your age, you are immediately considered high-risk. I'm going to be seeing you at least twice a month, and you may end up on bed rest for part of your pregnancy. I know that's going to be difficult with a little one at home already, so I suggest you start thinking about getting help, now. Trust me, you're going to need it," she told them.

She moved the transducer around a bit more, took some measurements, and then printed out some copies for Harm and Mac, pointing out each tiny baby, which looked like little more than black smudges in the fuzzy photos.

"Don't worry, we'll be doing these often enough that you'll get to see them more clearly as they mature," she told them. She cleaned the lubricating gel off of Mac's abdomen, and then helped her to sit up.

Mac asked Harm to hand her purse to her, and she pulled out the three remaining syringes she had. "Do I still need to take the hormone shots to keep nursing? I only have three left."

Dr. Martindale shook her head, and took them from her, glancing at them, and then suddenly looking more intently at them. "Well… that explains that," she said, shaking her head. "You were given the wrong shots last time," she told them, at their questioning looks. "This is one of the strongest fertility drugs on the market… usually our last resort. I'm really sorry about this; I should have gotten them for you myself last time."

Mac and Harm looked at each other and smiled.

"We're not," Mac said. "Maybe it was Divine intervention."

Dr. Martindale smiled at them, nodding. "The most important thing now, is for you to take care of yourself. Since you've changed your dietary habits because you're nursing, there aren't many changes you'll need to make. I'm going to start you on a prenatal vitamin, and an extra folic acid supplement on top of what's in those. You need to increase your caloric intake by at least a thousand calories a day. Other than that, I'll see you in two weeks."

"Thank you," Mac said, as Dr. Martindale handed her the prescriptions, nodded to them both, and then left the room. She looked at Harm, still trying to let this all sink in. "My God, Harm, we're going to have triplets," she said. "I can't wrap my brain around it."

Harm chuckled. "Me neither, Mac," he said. Standing, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, he looked lovingly into her eyes. "I love you, Mrs. Rabb," he said softly.

Mac smiled at him. "I love you, too." She shivered again, and she laughed softly. "Let me get dressed and we can head home."

**10:47 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm shut off the engine to the SUV and looked at Mac. "Are we ready for this?" he asked.

"To tell the family, or to have triplets?" she asked, grinning.

Harm chuckled, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Has it sunk in for you yet?" he asked.

Mac shook her head. "No; you?"

"Not even close," he said. "Oh, Mac, I thought we were going to have our hands full with one infant and a toddler. Can you imagine what our lives are going to be like with three infants and a toddler?"

A panicked expression momentarily flitted across her features, and then Mac smiled. Reaching out her hand to caress his face, she sighed. "Perfect," she told him, nodding.

Harm smiled at her, turning his head to kiss her palm. "Yeah," he agreed. His eyes suddenly widened. "We're going to have to add on to the house. It's already September… that doesn't give us much time to get it done before winter sets in, and we'll need to start looking for someone to help you with the house, and Miranda, and--"

Mac held up a hand, laughing. "Breathe, Sailor," she said. "One step at a time. We need to go tell the family, first."

Harm sighed and nodded. "All right. We can do this."

Mac winked at him, just before he climbed out and ran around to open her door for her. They walked into the house hand in hand.

Grammy Sarah looked up from her knitting as they entered the family room, and she smiled broadly at them. "Did the doctor agree with the home tests?"

Trish, who was just putting a sleeping Miranda into the swing, turned around and her eyes lit up expectantly.

Frank set his paper aside and smiled serenely.

"Where's Mattie?" Harm asked.

"She went up to the guest room to lie down for awhile," Grammy told them. "She had a headache."

Harm nodded. "I guess we can tell her later," he said to Mac.

Mac smiled tightly, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"As Grammy has already guessed, the doctor confirmed that the pregnancy tests were accurate," he told them, holding up his hand at his mother's gasp. "She did an ultrasound to find out about how far along Mac is, which, by the way, is about six weeks. When she did the ultrasound, she found something we need to talk to you all about."

"There's something wrong with the baby?" Trish asked hesitantly, very softly.

"No," Harm said, smiling. "All three of them are doing just fine," he said, waiting for the ball to drop.

Stunned silence met them for about thirty seconds, and then Trish was the first to recover. "Triplets?" she shrieked, startling Miranda, who started to cry. "Oh, sweetie, Granma's so sorry," she said, moving to pick her up and hold her close. She turned to face her son and daughter-in-law. "Harmon?"

"You're really having triplets?" Grammy Sarah asked, amazed.

"Yeah, we're really having triplets," Harm said, smiling brilliantly. "Can you believe it?"

"Somehow I was given fertility shots instead of the hormone shots I was taking to nurse," Mac explained. "I guess I've been breast feeding long enough that I didn't need them, but the fertility drug was one of the strongest ones on the market. So, not only are we pregnant, but we're having three at once." She accepted her still fussing daughter from Trish, and held her close to her, kissing the top of her head, adjusting her so that she could accept the hugs from everyone.

"Oh, this is simply wonderful!" Trish said, beaming. "I get to be a grandmother of four, in barely a year!"

Frank gave Harm a look. "You'd better start thinking about getting some help, son," he said. "One is hard enough, but three infants and a toddler?"

Harm gave him a sheepish look. "Yeah, Dr. Martindale already pointed that out."

"You know we'll all do whatever we can to help you," Grammy Sarah said. "Just let us know, and we'll be more than happy to do it."

"I know; thanks," Harm said, smiling.

"I'm going to take this little girl upstairs and try to settle her down," Mac told them, lightly bouncing Miranda, who was still protesting at having been woken up. "I'll see you all in awhile."

"Of course," Trish said. "Try to get some rest, dear."

They watched her carry Miranda up the stairs, and then Trish turned to her son, pulling him to her in a bear hug. "I love you, sweetheart," she said, her eyes misting. "Your father would be so proud of you."

Harm returned her hug, his own eyes becoming a bit moist. "Thanks, Mom," he said. He shook Frank's hand. "Dad," he said, smiling, just before he hugged his grandmother. "Grammy," he said softly. He looked at his family, and sighed. "I'm thrilled, and I'm terrified, and a million other things all at once," he told them. "And it still hasn't really set in yet. I can hardly believe that we're going to have triplets. What in the world are we going to do?"

"Love them, and each other, and do the best you can," Trish told him. "That's all anyone can do."

"I can't mess this up," he told them all softly. "I just can't."

Frank placed his hand on Harm's shoulder. "You won't, son. We'll all be right here to help you, anytime. Even your father is looking out for you, so you can't go wrong."

Harm surprised them all, by hugging Frank. "Thanks, Dad," he said, after he'd released him. "I needed to hear that."

**12:28 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm carried the tray into the bedroom, smiling at his wife's sleeping form. He quietly set the tray down on the dresser, and then moved to check on Miranda, before sitting on the bed beside Mac.

"Mac? Honey?" he called softly, hating to wake her.

Mac stirred and blinked up at him. "Hmm? What is it?" she asked.

"I brought you some lunch, and your vitamins," he told her. "Dad ran to the store and got your prescriptions filled for me."

Mac sighed, smiling up at him. "Thank you," she said, forcing herself to sit up. "Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, we all just finished lunch a few minutes ago," he told her. "I hate to wake you, but you need to eat. It's more important than ever, since you're nursing Miranda, and carrying three babies."

Mac nodded in agreement. "I appreciate you taking care of me," she told him, as he set the tray in front of her. She took the vitamins first, washing them down with the glass of orange juice, and then took a bite of the chicken salad sandwich. "This is delicious," she said. "Who made it?"

"Grammy," Harm told her. "Even I'll eat Grammy's chicken salad," he grinned.

"I'm impressed," she said, smiling.

Harm sat beside her on the bed, picking up his book and immersing himself in it while Mac ate her lunch. One of the things he most liked about their relationship, was the ability to just sit together in silence, just being happy in one another's presence. Every other woman he'd ever been in a relationship with had, for one reason or another, felt the need to talk whenever they were together. As if the silence had made them uncomfortable. Mac felt no such need, and sometimes, the silence was perfect.

Noticing that Mac was finished eating, Harm took her hand and kissed her knuckles, smiling.

Mac smiled, too, before pulling her hand away and standing to place the tray on the dresser. Then she disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, and when she returned, she lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of Harm's strong, warm hand lightly rubbing up and down her arm. In a very short time, she was sound asleep.

Harm could only smile, as he continued to read.


	47. Chapter 47

**14:16 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mattie walked over to the swing in the rose garden and said hello to Harm and Mac.

"Grammy said you guys wanted to see me?" she asked.

Harm looked at Mac, who only smiled. "How was your nap?" he asked her. "You slept for a long time. Everything okay?"

Mattie shrugged. "I woke up with a headache, and it just didn't seem to want to go away," she told them. "I had only planned to lie down until it went away, but I fell asleep. Grammy said she didn't want to wake me, since I was sleeping so peacefully. My headache's gone now, so I guess I'm okay."

Harm moved over and patted the spot between him and Mac. When Mattie sat down, he put his arm around her, and gave her a light squeeze. "We have something to tell you," he said.

"Okay," Mattie said, unsure. "Does this have something to do with Mac's doctor's appointment today?"

"Kind of," Mac said. "I am definitely pregnant," she told her. "The doctor did an ultrasound, and, well…" she looked at Harm.

"We're having triplets," Harm told her.

Mattie sat in stunned silence, eyes wide. She suddenly jumped up, spinning around to face them. "Triplets!" she exclaimed. "For real?"

Mac chuckled. "Oh, this is very real," she told her.

Mattie lunged forward and hugged Harm, and then Mac, and then went back to Harm. "I'm so happy for you both!" she said. "This is incredible! We need to celebrate… maybe we could all go out to dinner or something," she said, sitting on Harm's lap with her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I think that's a great idea," Harm agreed. He looked at Mac. "What do you think? Are you up for it?"

Mac smiled at him and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Great! I'm going to go and tell everyone we're going out for dinner," she said, hugging Harm again before getting up and heading towards the house.

Mac turned so that she was in a semi-reclined position, leaning into Harm's warm embrace, resting her head on his shoulder, and laughing. "I think the family is at least as excited as we are," she said.

"Just wait until you tell Chloe," he said, laughing with her. "You'd better be sure to hold the phone well away from your ear."

"Oh, Chloe! I totally forgot I need to call her," she said, suddenly feeling guilty. "I should go and do that."

Harm tightened his embrace. "Just wait for a little bit, please? I want to hold you for awhile longer."

Mac smiled, and relaxed back against him. "I can live with that."

They sat together in silence, surrounded by the fragrance of roses, the swing moving gently back and forth, as they watched the fountain in the center of the pond causing ripples. It was extremely peaceful, and they just enjoyed being together.

Harm realized that he had to return to duty on Monday morning, and was surprised to find that the thought didn't bring him as much pleasure as it once would have. He was enjoying this time with his wife, and daughter, and was a bit disappointed that he would be leaving them for many hours of the day.

The thought of being sent away from home brought him a pang of sorrow, and even a smidgen of fear. If he was sent on a dangerous assignment, could he leave, knowing that he was risking leaving not only Mac behind, but four children as well?

It left him feeling unsettled, and he was beginning to question whether or not the military was the career he still wanted. He now completely understood how Mac felt, and why she'd chosen to retire from the Marine Corps.

"Want to tell me what's bothering you?" Mac finally asked softly.

Harm looked mildly surprised; he hadn't realized he'd been broadcasting his thoughts so loudly. "I'm just thinking of having to return to duty on Monday," he told her. "It's not as appealing as it once was."

Mac nodded slowly. "I know the feeling," she said. "It's one of the many reasons I chose to retire. Are you thinking of leaving the Navy?"

"I don't know, Mac," he said, frustrated. "Now that we know you're carrying triplets, I'm worried about leaving you home alone to take care of Miranda. I'm worried I'll get sent on some dangerous assignment that could take me away from you, and our children, permanently. I'm worried that I'll be out on duty somewhere when you really need me. I don't know what I should be feeling, much less thinking."

Mac smiled. "I know you're concerned Harm, but I feel fine right now, and Miranda isn't that hard to take care of… she's not even mobile yet. I'm sure by the time she is, we'll have found someone to help me. Why don't you just take it one day at a time, and see how you feel in a month?"

Harm sighed quietly. He knew she was right, he just couldn't let go of all of his anxiety over leaving her home alone. Too many things could go wrong, and he'd feel awful if he wasn't around when she needed him. "Okay," he conceded. "I'll give it a month. We'll regroup and discuss this again, then."

Mac smiled. "Good. Now, I think Miranda should be waking up soon, and we've left your family to take care of her enough. Besides, I'm going to need a snack, since it's still going to be awhile before dinner."

Harm laughed. "I'm afraid to think of what your appetite will be like now," he said. "It was bad enough when you were just feeding one… but four?"

"Five, if you count Miranda," she said, laughing with him.

"We'd better get a bigger refrigerator," Harm said, shaking his head, and wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked back towards the house. He laughed when Mac thwacked him on the chest in response.

**15:04 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

They went inside and Mac told Harm that she was going to call Chloe. "Want to come listen in?" she asked, smiling.

Harm chuckled, nodding. "I wouldn't miss this," he said, as he followed her into the office.

Mac dialed, spoke briefly to Chloe's grandmother, and then flipped the phone to speaker.

"Mac? How are you? I'm so bummed I couldn't come for Miranda's Christening, but with school starting, I couldn't make the trip. How's my little sister, Miranda? And how's my sister, Mattie? And how is Harm?"

"Chloe, slow down," Mac laughed. "We're all fine here. Mattie, Grammy, Trish and Frank all say 'hi'. Miranda is doing really well, and she's getting bigger every day. Harm is here on the phone with me," she said.

"Hi Chloe," Harm said. "How do you like school so far?"

"Hi Harm! School's okay; I know a bunch of people from last year, so it's not too terrible. I got stuck in calculus, which totally sucks, but my English class is cool, and my teacher is totally hot," she told them.

Harm and Mac exchanged a look, still grinning.

"We have something to tell you," Mac said. "I'm pregnant."

Chloe squealed in delight. "I can't believe this!" she exclaimed. "I'm so excited for you guys! I bet you want a boy, since Miranda is a girl, and then you'd have one of each, and~"

"Chloe!" Mac laughed again, cutting the teen off. "There's more.""More?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Yeah," Mac said, winking at Harm. "We're having triplets."

Total silence met them on the other end of the line, and they heard a loud 'thump'.

"Chloe?" Mac said, looking at Harm with a worried expression.

They could hear muffled voices coming through the phone, and then suddenly Chloe's grandmother's voice came over the speaker.

"Mac?" her grandmother asked.

"I'm still here," she replied. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't know," she answered. "What did you say to Chloe? She fainted."

Mac's jaw dropped, and she looked at Harm with an expression of shock. "We uh, we just told her we're expecting triplets," she told the older woman. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea she'd react like that."

"It's okay, sweetie," Chloe's grandmother said. "Congratulations! Oh, hold on, Chloe wants the phone back."

"OH MY GOD!!! MAC!!!" Chloe practically yelled into the phone. "I can't believe you're having triplets! This is so amazing! You guys are so lucky! So, have you started thinking about names yet? Do you want boys, or girls, or a girl and two boys, or two girls and a boy?"

"Chloe, slow down, and for goodness sakes, breathe," Mac said. "First of all, are you all right? Your grandmother says you fainted."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I was just so surprised, I don't know what happened. I'm fine. How are you feeling? Do you have morning sickness really bad?" Chloe started again.

"I'm fine, and I'm glad you are, too. You scared me, kiddo. I haven't had any morning sickness at all, so I guess I'm pretty lucky. We just found out we're having triplets, so we haven't even thought of names yet, and as far as boys or girls? Well, as long as they are all healthy, we'll be happy with whatever we get," Mac told her.

"That makes sense," Chloe said. "How do you feel about all of this, Harm?"

"I'm thrilled, and a little nervous," he said, smiling at Mac.

"Miranda is going to be so lucky… she'll have three siblings really close to her age to play with," Chloe said a bit wistfully. "It really sucks being the only child."

Harm and Mac exchanged looks. "Yeah, we know," Mac told her.

"So when are you due? I'll have to make sure to come out and help you when the babies get here," Chloe said.

"Late April," Mac told her. "But multiples tend to be born early, so we may end up having them sooner."

"I won't be able to come until school gets out," Chloe mourned.

"Don't worry, we'll try to work something out," Mac told her, grinning at Harm. "If you keep your grades up, maybe you can come for a week after they're born. I can't make any promises, but we'll see what we can do."

"I guess that's okay," Chloe said. "I better go; I have homework to do, and I still have to go clean out Scout's pen."

"We'll talk to you soon," Mac promised. "Love you."

"Love you too," Chloe said. "Bye Harm, bye Mac."

"Bye," they said together, just before the line disconnected.

Mac pushed the button to disconnect their phone, and then hugged Harm. "Well, that was… interesting."

Harm laughed. "Only Chloe would pass out at the news," he agreed. "Come on, let's go see if our little girl is awake yet."

Mac only nodded, smiling.

**19:26 EST**

**Dulles International Airport**

**Washington, DC**

**Friday**

Harm hugged his grandmother, and then kissed her cheek. "Take care of yourself, Grammy," he said. "We'll see you at Thanksgiving."

"You take care of yourself, too, and your beautiful family, Harmon," Grammy said. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Harm said. He watched as Grammy kissed and hugged Mac, and then Miranda, and finally, his parents. She turned one last time to wave at everyone, and then boarded her plane.

"We should head over to your gate," Mac told Trish. "We only have eighteen minutes, eleven seconds, before your flight is scheduled for takeoff.""How do you do that?" Trish asked, smiling at Mac.

Mac shrugged. "I have no idea," she told her. "But it comes in handy.""I bet," Trish said.

They hurried over to the gate where Frank and Trish's plane was to take off from, and still had eight minutes to spare.

Mac handed Miranda to Frank, so he could say goodbye.

"Bye, bye, angel," he said, smiling at his granddaughter. "Be good for your mommy and daddy, and I'll send you lots of presents."

"He'll send her lots of presents, even if she isn't good for us," Mac whispered to Trish.

Trish nodded, grinning. "It's the grandparents' prerogative," she told her.

Mac laughed, as Frank passed Miranda to Trish.

"Oh, Granma is going to miss her girl!" she said, kissing Miranda and then cuddling her close. She held her away from her for a minute, relishing Miranda's sweet smile. "I love you," she cooed.

Miranda smiled again, and was passed back to her mother.

Trish and Frank both hugged Mac, admonishing her to take good care of herself, and telling her they'd see her in a few months' time.

Frank shook Harm's hand, and then accepted his stepson's hug. "Take care of yourself, Son," he said. "Keep us posted on how the family is doing."

"I will, Dad," he promised, before turning to his mother. "Bye Mom," he said, hugging her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, dear," she said, returning his hug. "Let us know if we can do anything for either of you."

"I will," he promised, smiling as she kissed his cheek. "See you soon."

The announcement came over the loudspeaker calling for first class passengers to begin boarding, so Frank and Trish turned to board. They waved goodbye once more, before disappearing.

Harm stood with his arm around his wife, watching as his parents left, and sighed. "It gets harder to see them go every time," he said.

Mac smiled sadly, nodding. She looked at Miranda, who was fussing a bit. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" she asked. "I know you can't be hungry already."

Miranda stopped fussing and smiled up at her mother.

"Oh, you just want attention," Mac said, smiling. "Well, we can do that, can't we Daddy?"

Harm leaned close to Miranda, and smiled. "That we can," he said. He held his hands out for Miranda. "Come here, princess."

Mac handed him the baby girl, and smiled as she watched him hold her up in front of him and talk to her, making silly faces at her.

Miranda smiled, kicking her feet and waving her arms.

Harm laughed, and kissed her again, before cradling her in his left arm.

"Are we ready to head home?" Mac asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "Unless you want to stop anywhere on the way home."

"We need to stop by the grocery store," Mac told him.

"Okay," Harm said, taking her hand as they made their way out of the airport.

**05:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Monday**

The alarm went off, and Harm reached over to shut it off, scowling into his pillow. He sat up slowly, stretching, and then looked over to Mac's side of the bed. It was empty. Turning, he looked towards the enclave where Miranda's cradle was, and noted that she wasn't sitting in the rocking chair, either. Curious, he climbed out of bed, and moved to peek into Miranda's crib. Seeing the infant was sleeping soundly, he moved towards the bathroom, stopping when Mac came out.

"Good, you're awake," she said, smiling at him. "I was just about to come and get you."

Harm eyed his wife's attire, and raised an eyebrow. "Mac, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Getting ready for our morning jog," she said. "Now that you're going back to work, it's time to for us to get back to our usual schedule."

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" he asked her.

Mac rolled her eyes. "Harm, I'm pregnant, not an invalid. Unless, or until, Dr. Martindale says otherwise, I am going to keep up my normal routine. Exercise is perfectly fine for pregnant women; even ones carrying multiples. I looked it up online."

Harm chuckled, and then kissed her. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, but I worry about you."

Mac smiled. "I appreciate that. Now get a move on, Squid, or you're going to be late to your first day back at work."

"Aye, aye," he said, giving her a mock salute and hurrying into the bathroom before his wife could retaliate.

Mac smiled and went downstairs to make breakfast. She'd just gotten it finished, when Harm entered the kitchen, carrying Miranda, who was now wide awake. "I changed her diaper and got her dressed," he told Mac, as he handed her over.

Mac took Miranda, and lifted up her t-shirt, undoing the nursing bra and helping her to latch on. She ate while Miranda nursed, talking to Harm. "So, do we just want to run the neighborhood, or do we want to head to the park?"

"Just the neighborhood this morning," Harm said. "I want to make sure I have time to get ready when I get back."

Mac nodded, and they finished breakfast in silence. As soon as they'd finished breakfast, and Miranda was done nursing, Mac adjusted her clothing while Harm retrieved the jogging stroller.

He put the lamb skin pad into the stroller, before moving so that Mac could put Miranda in and strap the safety harness. Then he covered her with her blanket, and closed the canopy over the top. "Ready?" he asked Mac, who had just set the breakfast dishes into the sink.

"Yep," Mac said. "Lead the way."

They headed out the door into the cool morning air, taking off at an easy pace.

When they finished their morning run, they headed back home so that Harm could take a shower and get ready for work.

While Harm was getting ready to leave, Mac put Miranda back in her cradle, and went downstairs to do the dishes. She went upstairs, just as Harm came out of the bathroom, dressed in his winter blues. She smiled at him, as she stood on tiptoes to kiss him. "You ready?" she asked.

Harm shrugged. "Yes, and no. I'm still worried about leaving you and Miranda for so long every day."

Mac smiled softly at him. "Harm, plenty of husbands, who aren't even in the military, leave their wives and children home alone for eight to ten hours a day. We'll be fine," she promised. "I'll call you if I need anything at all."

Harm returned her smile, and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, you have exactly forty-eight minutes, thirty-one seconds to be to work, so you'd better get going. I wouldn't want you to be late," she said. "You can call and check on us as often as you feel you need to."

Harm nodded, kissed her again, and then leaned down to kiss Miranda. "I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Yes, you will," she promised, walking him to the garage door. She stood just inside, watching as he climbed into the SUV and started the engine. As soon as he waved, she went inside and closed the door, heading back upstairs. As long as Miranda was sleeping, she was going to head back to bed, too.


	48. Chapter 48

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I ended up spending five days in the hospital~ who knew being dangerously anemic could cause the same symptoms as a heart attack? Anyway, I'm doing great now, and ready to get back to writing! Thanks for your feedback, it is always appreciated! Enjoy…

**11:47 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**One Month Later**

Mac walked into JAG HQ carrying Miranda, and was greeted by Sturgis Turner.

"Hello, Mac, here for your weekly lunch with the Admiral?" he asked her.

"Hey Sturgis," Mac replied. "Yeah, me and miss Miranda are here to see Grampa AJ."

Sturgis shook his head, smiling. "I still find it hard to believe that you can get away with calling him that."

Mac smiled. "One of the perks of being retired."

"Hmm," Sturgis murmured, leaning forward to look at Miranda. "How are you today, young lady?" he asked, smiling when Miranda laughed at him and bounced in Mac's arms. "When did she start laughing?" he asked Mac.

"A couple of days ago. Now Harm goes out of his way to make her laugh, just because he likes the sound of it so much," she told him. "I swear he's got two hours worth of video footage just of her laughing!"

"He does love his little girl," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"That he does," Mac replied. "I'm feeling good. I haven't had any morning sickness, and other than the fact that my waist line is expanding quicker than I can keep up with, everything else is good, too."

"Well, you are carrying three babies," Sturgis said. "That can't be easy for the body to adjust to."

Mac nodded, just as Admiral Chegwidden came out of his office.

"Hello, Mac," AJ greeted her. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine, AJ, thank you," she said, smiling at him.

"Glad to hear it," he answered, and then leaned down to look at Miranda. "How's Grampa AJ's girl?" he asked, grinning broadly when she laughed at him and bounced in her mother's arms. "When did she start doing that?"

"A couple of days ago," Mac responded. "She laughs at everything, now."

"Well, that's wonderful!" AJ exclaimed, tickling Miranda under her arm so that she'd laugh again, and then smiling when she did.

Mac looked at Sturgis, who shook his head in amazement.

"I have to go interview a witness, sir," he said to the Admiral. "I should be back by 15:00 hours."

"Fine, fine," Admiral Chegwidden said, waving a dismissive hand in his direction. He looked at Mac, ignoring Sturgis' departure. "I made us reservations at Lipmann's; I hope that's all right with you."

Mac smiled, nodding. "Sounds good."

"Shall we go, then?" he asked, indicating that she should precede him towards the elevator.

**12:12 EST**

**Lipmann's Bistro**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac set Miranda's carrier in the chair beside her, and then took her own seat. She accepted the menu from the waiter, and responded to his request for her drink order by asking for an iced tea.

"So, how did your discussion with Harm go?" AJ asked her, as he looked over his menu.

"Pretty well," Mac replied. "He's agreed not to make any decisions without discussing them with me, first. He talked to his CO, and he has agreed to try to keep Harm as close to home as possible for the time being, though he can't make any promises."

The Admiral nodded. "He has a better chance of staying home where he's at, than if he came back to JAG. He does realize that, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does," she assured him. "I think he also understands that going back to JAG would be a step backwards for his career, as well."

AJ nodded, as he set his menu down. "Good."

The waiter came and took their orders, and then left them alone again.

"How are things going at JAG?" Mac asked him.

"Fine, though we're still terribly understaffed. I've got a list of candidates for transfer to HQ, but the majority of them are young and unseasoned," he told her. "I'm thinking of retiring; let someone else handle the headaches of training the younger generation."

Mac smiled sympathetically. "Is there really anyone better qualified to train them than you?"

"I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that can handle it," he told her. "I want to spend more time with Francesca, and with my 'grandchildren'," he said, smiling affectionately at her. "Which brings me to something I've been thinking a lot about lately," he said. "I would be very honored, if you would allow me to adopt you."

Mac's expression showed that she was completely taken by surprise. "Um, although I am completely flattered, I'm a little old to be adopted, aren't I?"

He smiled. "In theory, but in reality, once you're an adult, you can consent to someone else adopting you, whether or not your birth parents are alive, and without your birth parents' permission. Mac, you've been like a daughter to me, and you've asked me to be grandfather to your children; I just want to make it official. I know your real father wasn't very good to you, but I promise, as long as I live, I'll be the best father to you I know how to be."

Mac was speechless. She knew that it couldn't be easy for the normally stoic Admiral to express his feelings, which made it all the more special to her. "I… I don't know what to say," she said. "I'd be honored to have you as my father. Have you discussed this with Francesca?"

"I have," he told her, nodding. "She loves the idea of having a sister."

"I'd love to have a sister, as well," Mac said, smiling. "I need to discuss this with Harm first, but I'd love for you to adopt me as your daughter. Does this mean I get to call you 'dad'?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Or Papa, like Francesca, or whatever makes you comfortable," he said, winking at her, and returning her grin.

"Thank you so much," she said sincerely, touched. She stood to give him a brief hug, and kiss his cheek. She resumed her seat, and then smiled down at Miranda. "What are you laughing at?" she asked her daughter, tickling her tummy. "You funny girl."

Miranda kicked her legs, and waved her arms, laughing delightedly.

The waiter brought their meals, and they ate and talked quietly. When they were finished, Mac drove AJ back to JAG, and then went upstairs to see Harm, since he'd called while they were enroute back to HQ.

Mac walked into his office, carrying Miranda.

"Hey Sailor," she said, smiling at him as she closed his office door.

"There's my two favorite girls," he said, standing to kiss his wife and daughter. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Mac told him.

"Good. How was lunch with the Admiral?" he asked, as he took Miranda from her, and cradled her in his left arm.

"Fine," she said, sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "We had an interesting discussion."

"Oh? Can you share?" he asked, smiling down at Miranda, who was laughing at his tickling her tummy.

"He wants to adopt me," she told him.

Harm looked up, shocked. "He what?"

"That's what I thought, too," she said, smiling. "He wants to officially make me his daughter. He talked it over with Francesca, and she's okay with it, so he asked how I'd feel about it."

"How _do_ you feel about it?" Harm asked her.

"I actually kind of like the idea," she told him timidly. "How about you? Would it bother you to have the Admiral as your father-in-law?"

Harm blinked at her for a minute, before he finally laughed. "I think I could handle it, especially if it makes you happy."

Mac nodded, her eyes glassy. "It would."

"Then by all means, Mac, go for it."

Mac smiled at him. "Thanks, Harm."

Harm winked at her, and then leaned forward to blow a raspberry on Miranda's cheek, causing her to laugh loudly again.

They stayed for a few more minutes, and then Mac told Harm she needed to let him get back to work.

"You can play with the baby at home," she told him, smiling.

"Yeah, I know," he pouted. "Do you want me to cook dinner tonight?"

"I think I can handle it," she told him. "Assuming Miranda takes her nap at her usual time."

"Well, if you get too tired, or just don't feel up to it, I'll be glad to take care of it when I get home," he told her, handing Miranda back to her, and kissing them both. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"That you will," he said, walking with them to the elevator. "Be careful driving home."

"I will," she said, stepping onto the elevator.

Harm waved once, just before the elevator doors closed, and then sighed. He had a lot of work to do, before he could head home.

**17:50 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm walked in through the kitchen door, hung his keys on the key rack, and immediately noticed the wonderful smell of something cooking.

Mac came downstairs carrying a very fussy Miranda, and smiled tiredly at him. She walked over to him, kissing him briefly, and then sat down on a chair at the kitchen island and sighed.

Harm looked at her, concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Miranda started crying about twenty minutes after we got home this afternoon, and she's been going since," she told him. "She stopped long enough to eat, but that's about it. She wouldn't take her nap, and I haven't been able to get her to calm down. I finally put her in the swing and just let her cry, so I could get dinner started."

"Mac, Honey, I told you I could take care of dinner," he said, taking their crying child from his wife. "Shh… hey, princess, what's wrong, huh?" he murmured, bouncing her gently and kissing her cheek.

Miranda's cries softened a bit, but didn't stop altogether.

Mac stood and opened the oven door, peering at the casserole, and then closed the door again, flipping the oven off. "I just have to make the salad, and warm the bread, and dinner will be ready," she told Harm.

"I'll do it," he told her. "Let me go change, first."

"How about this? You take Miranda upstairs with you, change clothes, and try to calm her down some, while I finish dinner. Then we can eat, and I can rest while you clean up the kitchen," she said. "We'll have to take turns with Miranda."

Harm nodded. "Okay." He leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, wincing as Miranda's cries started increasing in volume again.

Harm rubbed Miranda's back, murmuring soothing words to her, and then carried her up the stairs.

Mac could still hear Miranda's cries coming from upstairs, as she pulled the vegetables out of the refrigerator and began preparing the salad. She finished the salad, had removed the casserole from the oven, and was just placing the bread into the oven to warm, when Harm came back downstairs.

Miranda was still crying, and Harm was frowning in concern.

"She isn't wet, could she be hungry?" he asked Mac.

Mac shook her head. "I fed her just before you got home. I can try again, but I don't think that's what it is."

"She doesn't feel warm," Harm said, touching her forehead.

"I took her temperature," Mac told him. "It's slightly elevated, but not enough to be terribly concerned about."

Harm was still rocking Miranda, gently rubbing her back, while they talked. He carried her over and placed her into her swing, turning it, and the music, on, before moving back to the kitchen.

Mac was just taking the bread out of the oven, when Harm joined her. They got their dinner, and sat down at the kitchen island to eat.

"I wish I knew what's wrong with her," Mac said, looking over at Miranda, who was still crying. "I feel so helpless."

"Should I call my mother to ask her for some ideas on what could be wrong?" Harm asked.

Mac sighed. "Maybe you should; I'll take any help we can get at this point."

Harm smiled sympathetically. He finished eating quickly, and then stood and moved to the phone.

Mac, too, finished eating as fast as she could, and then moved over to the swing and picked up Miranda, cuddling her close. She sat down on the sofa, lifting her shirt and opening the clasp on her nursing bra, trying to get Miranda to latch on. Miranda sucked briefly, but then started crying again, turning her head away. Sighing, Mac fixed her clothes, and moved Miranda up to her shoulder, rubbing her back and murmuring softly to her.

Ten minutes later, Harm came back into the family room and looked at her. "Mom says it could either be teething, or she could be getting sick. She suggested putting some sort of topical anesthetic on her gums, and giving her a pacifier."

"We don't have either," Mac said.

"Do you want me to go to the store, or do you want to go?" he asked.

"Why don't we go together?" she suggested. "Maybe the car ride will calm her down some."

Harm nodded. "Let me put the food away, and we'll go."

"Okay," Mac said. "I'll get the diaper bag, and put her into the car seat."

In fifteen minutes, they were on their way to the nearest store. Miranda had quieted some, but was still whimpering softly in the back seat.

**09:34 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Next Day**

Mac sighed as she rubbed Miranda's back, walking towards the front door to see who had the gall to ring the bell this early. She was surprised to find Admiral Chegwidden standing on the other side.

"AJ," she said, opening the door for him to come in. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, there is," he replied. "Your husband was in the office this morning looking like something the cat wouldn't even drag in. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me that neither of you got much sleep last night, because Miranda had been up crying most of the night." He hung his cover on the hook inside the front closet door, and removed his jacket and hung it up as well, while he was talking. Then he turned to Mac, holding his hands out for Miranda. "Has she been fed this morning?" he asked, as Mac handed him the fussy baby girl.

Mac looked surprised. "Yes, I just finished feeding her."

"Good, then she shouldn't be hungry for another couple of hours, at least. You go back to bed and get some sleep; I'll take care of my granddaughter for awhile."

"You don't have to~" Mac started.

"Don't argue with me, Mac," he said. "Go back to bed. You and the triplets need the rest, and I've cleared my schedule for the day."

Mac couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. She leaned forward and kissed Miranda, who was whimpering softly while sucking on her pacifier. "The baby Tylenol, and the Numbzit are on the counter in the kitchen," she told him.

"I can handle it Mac," he said. "Go get some sleep."

Mac nodded, and quietly went upstairs, closing the bedroom door and laying down in her bed. She sighed as she rubbed her enlarged abdomen, and fell asleep in just a few short minutes.

When she awoke, nearly seven hours later, she sat up and pulled on her robe quickly, hurrying downstairs. She found AJ sitting on the sofa, feeding Miranda a bottle, and talking quietly to her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, as she moved into the room.

AJ looked up at her, smiling. "You were sleeping peacefully, and I didn't want to disturb you," he told her. "She's been changed, and she's eating now, so why don't you go and take a shower or bath, and when you come down, you can take over."

Mac smiled, nodding. She turned around and walked back up the stairs to take a shower.

As soon as she was clean and dressed, Mac went back downstairs and accepted her baby girl from AJ, cuddling her close.

"I can't thank you enough," she said to AJ. "I feel much better."

"Good," AJ said. "I'm glad I could help; I'm going to cook dinner."

Mac opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when he gave her a look that told her not to bother. She smiled, kissing Miranda, and sat down on the sofa, rocking gently back and forth.

When Harm arrived home an hour and sixteen minutes later, AJ was just taking dinner out of the oven, and Mac was still sitting on the sofa rocking Miranda, who was finally sleeping soundly.

"Sir!" Harm exclaimed, coming to attention when he saw the Admiral in his kitchen.

"As you were," AJ said, smiling at him. "Dinner's in ten, so you have just enough time to go change."

Harm looked at Mac with wide eyes, noting her contented smile. "Aye, sir," he said, moving towards the stairs.

Mac giggled softly, shaking her head.

Harm came back downstairs as soon as he had changed clothes.

"Do you need any help, sir?" he asked AJ.

"Harm, call me AJ for crying out loud," he said. "I've got everything under control here."

Mac smiled as Harm took a seat beside her on the sofa.

"How long has he been here?" he asked her quietly.

"Since 09:34," she told him. "He showed up here, took over caring for Miranda, and sent me upstairs to sleep. I slept for six hours, fifty-three minutes. He fed her a bottle twice, changed her diaper, and took care of her all day."

Harm smiled. "I'll have to be sure to thank him. I was really worried about leaving you today, since neither of us got much sleep last night. I knew he was concerned this morning when I went into the office, but I had no idea he was going to come over." He reached over and lightly rubbed Miranda's back. "How is she doing?"

"Better, now," she said. "She finally fell asleep twenty-two minutes ago."

"Let's eat, people," AJ called to them.

Mac stood carefully, placing Miranda into her swing, setting it on low. Then she moved to the kitchen and took her usual seat at the kitchen island, smiling as AJ handed her a plate of food. "It smells wonderful," she said. "Thank you so much for all you've done today."

"Not a problem, Mac," he said, taking a seat on the other side of Harm. "Since the Numbzit isn't helping her any, I don't think she's teething," he told Harm and Mac. "My guess would be that she's got some kind of bug, especially since she's been running a low fever. Since she's breastfed, it's doubtful she's got colic."

Harm and Mac looked at each other, idly wondering how their former CO knew so much about infants.

"Maybe we should take her to the pediatrician," Mac said.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," AJ said. "Not unless her fever gets above a hundred-one, or she doesn't get better in a couple of days."

"That's pretty much what my Mom said last night," he told them. "I guess we just wait it out and see."

Mac nodded, glancing over towards Miranda as she made a soft hiccupping noise, and relaxed when she settled back to sleep.

They finished eating, and then Harm and AJ worked together to clean up the kitchen, insisting that Mac sit down and relax with her feet up.

When they were finished, AJ told them goodbye, telling them he had things to do at home before he needed to be back at work in the morning. Harm and Mac thanked him again for all of his help, Mac kissing him softly on the cheek, and then they waved goodbye to him as he pulled out of the driveway.

Harm went upstairs to prepare everything they'd need for Miranda's bath, and when he came back downstairs, he found Mac holding her, trying again to calm her down.

He could tell it was going to be another long night.


	49. Chapter 49

A/N: As always, **THANK YOU!!!** For the great feedback. It is always **very** much appreciated, even if I don't have time to reply to you personally. If RL would just leave me alone, I could actually finish this! I promise to update as I have time. Enjoy…

**03:06 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac sat up, as she heard Miranda's frantic cries. She felt Harm stir beside her, and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I've got her," she told him.

She moved to the cradle, flipping on the small light above the changing table, and then turned to pick Miranda up. "Harm!" she said, urgently.

Harm jumped, immediately moving to her side. "What is it?"

"She's burning up," Mac told him, grabbing the ear thermometer and taking Miranda's temperature. "It's one-oh-four point six," she told Harm, frowning worriedly.

Harm was shocked at how high her fever was. "I'll get a cool bath for her, you give her some Tylenol™."

Mac nodded, laying Miranda on the changing table and removing her clothes. She gave Miranda some of the baby Tylenol™, and then lifted her up and carried her into the bathroom, where Harm had the baby bath filled with tepid water.

Harm watched as Mac removed Miranda's diaper, placing her into the bath. Miranda's cries grew louder, as Mac took the washcloth and began running the cool water over her head and body.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay," Mac murmured. "We have to get your fever down. It's all right; please don't cry."

Five minutes later, Miranda was shivering, so Mac took her out of the water and placed her into the towel Harm was holding up for her. He wrapped her securely in it, and cuddled her as he carried her to the changing table, where he put a diaper on her, and dressed her in a Onesie, before lifting her and handing her back to Mac.

"I cleaned up the bathroom," she told him, before taking her temperature again. "She isn't as warm now, so I'll feed her. Why don't you try to sleep for awhile, and I'll wake you in a little bit?"

"I'm going to call into work," he told her. "We need to take her to the doctor as soon as they're open."

Mac nodded. "Okay; just sleep for a little while, then, and I'll feed her."

"All right, but wake me if she doesn't go back to sleep, and I'll take over for awhile so you can sleep," he told her.

"I will," she told him, sitting in the rocking chair and opening her robe to feed Miranda.

She fed Miranda, though it took a long time, since Miranda was so fussy. When she'd finished feeding her, she held her close, rubbing her back. After another twenty minutes, she stood and moved to the bed, placing Miranda in the center, settling down beside her.

Harm opened his eyes, rolling onto his side so that he was facing them, and then rubbed Miranda's tummy. "Hush, princess," he said softly. "You're going to be okay."

"Did you ever get back to sleep?" Mac asked him, brushing a stray hair from his forehead.

Harm shrugged. "No, but that's okay." He looked down at Miranda, who was sucking on her pacifier, still whimpering softly. "I wish I knew what to do for her."

Mac nodded. "Me, too," she said. "I'm suddenly terrified of what things are going to be like when we have four children. What are we going to do if they're all sick at once?"

Harm smiled tightly and sighed. "The same as we are now," he said. "The best we can."

"What if that isn't good enough?" she asked, her eyes fearful.

"It will be, Mac," he assured her.

"I hope you're right," she said.

'So do I,' Harm thought, though he didn't voice it aloud.

Mac started to doze off, and Harm continued to rub Miranda's tummy.

About an hour later, Harm got out of bed and picked up Miranda, carrying her with him downstairs to call his office and let them know he wouldn't be in. He continued carrying her around the house with him, as he tried to soothe her.

Mac awoke at 06:30, and she took a shower and got dressed, before going downstairs, where she took Miranda from Harm in order to feed her.

"Why don't you go shower and get dressed, and I'll feed Miranda? Then we can take her to Dr. Neal's office when they open at 08:30," she said.

"I'll be back down soon," he said, kissing her briefly.

**08:26 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm held the door, while Mac carried Miranda into Dr. Neal's office. They went up to the window, and spoke with the receptionist.

"Captain and Mrs. Rabb," Leanne smiled at them. "What can we do for you today?"

"We need to see Dr. Neal as soon as possible," Harm told her. "Miranda's been fussy for the last few days, and this morning she was running a really high fever."

"How high was it?" she asked, pulling some forms from a folder on her desk, and writing some notes.

"One-oh-four point six," Harm replied.

"What did you do to bring it down?" Leanne asked him.

"We gave her some infant Tylenol™ drops, and bathed her in a cool bath for five minutes," he answered. "Then I dressed her in a diaper and a Onesie, and Mac fed her."

"Perfect," she said, nodding. "I'll go let Dr. Neal know what's going on. Have a seat please, and I'll call you as soon as possible."

Harm thanked her, and they took a seat.

Miranda was still whimpering, sucking frantically on her pacifier, and occasionally squalling loudly, while Mac rubbed her back.

Thirty-six minutes and twenty-three seconds later, Nancy called them back, leading them to an exam room, where she questioned them about Miranda's symptoms, and took the baby girl's temperature.

"She's running a fever," she told them. "It's not as high as it was this morning, but it's high enough. One-oh-one point eight; I'll get Dr. Neal in here ASAP."

Mac frowned, nodding as she removed Miranda's clothing, barely noting Nancy leaving the room.

Dr. Neal stepped in a few moments later. "I hear Miranda is sick," she said, moving straight to the exam table where Miranda was squirming, crying unhappily.

"She started out being overly fussy the other day," Mac told her. "She was up most of the night crying. Harm's mother suggested that it might be teething, so we went to the pharmacy and bought some baby Tylenol™ and some Numbzit™, and a pacifier. The Numbzit™ wasn't helping, so we assumed that maybe she was getting a cold or something. This morning, she was running a really high fever, so we gave her the Tylenol™, and a cool bath to bring it down, and brought her in."

"That was exactly the right thing to do," she said, smiling at them. "Has she been congested; coughing, stuffy nose?"

"No," Mac told her. "She hasn't had any symptoms, except the fever and the crying."

Dr. Neal frowned, but nodded, as she put the stethoscope on and began listening to Miranda's heart and lungs, then her belly. She grabbed the otoscope and checked her ears, and then her nose, and then used a tongue depressor to move her tongue out of the way and checked her throat.

"Her throat's a little red, but that could be from so much crying," she told them. "I'm going to get a swab to check for strep, just in case," she said. "We're going to draw some blood, too. Other than the red throat, I can't find anything obviously wrong with her, so I'm hoping the blood test will show me something."

Harm nodded, moving to stand beside Mac. "Is it common for infants to get sick with no apparent symptoms?"

"No, which is why I want to do the blood test; we need to find out what's going on," she told them. She had grabbed the swab, and again used the tongue depressor to hold Miranda's tongue out of the way, before swabbing the back of her throat.

Miranda gagged, and then began to scream louder.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Dr. Neal said. "I know that's no fun. Why don't one of you hold her, until we get Nancy in here to draw the labs?"

Mac picked Miranda up, kissing her gently on the forehead. "I hate this," she told Harm, as Dr. Neal stepped out of the room.

Harm wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her tenderly. "I know; me, too."

Nancy came in, instructing Mac to hold Miranda as still as possible while she drew her blood, and then quickly cleaned up when she was finished. "We're putting a rush on this, but it still may be awhile," she told them. "You might want to make yourselves as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you, Nancy," Harm said.

Nancy nodded, leaving them alone to comfort Miranda.

**10:18 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Dr. Neal came back into the room, frowning. "We need to do a spinal tap," she told Harm and Mac.

"Why?" Mac asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I need to make sure that Miranda doesn't have meningitis," she told them. "Her blood work came back, and her white blood count is off the charts, which means she either has some kind of infection, or she's bleeding internally. I need to find out what it is, quickly." She looked at them seriously. "Most parents can't stand to watch this, so if you'd like, you can wait outside."

"Is it going to hurt her?" Mac asked, concerned.

"It's uncomfortable; but the worst part is that we have to strap her to a back board, so she can't move at all, because if she moves at the wrong time, it could paralyze her," Dr. Neal told them.

Mac swallowed hard, and looked at Harm for a minute. When he shook his head, she knew he intended to stay. "We're staying," she told Dr. Neal.

Dr. Neal nodded. "I'll get what we need," she told them, and then moved out of the room. She returned a few moments later, Nancy following behind her, the two of them carrying the supplies they'd need to do the test.

Nancy gently picked Miranda up, and placed her on the specially designed back board, before beginning to strap her to it.

Miranda began protesting loudly, refusing the pacifier Nancy tried to give her to calm her down.

As soon as Miranda was secured onto the board, Nancy rolled it to the side, talking softly to Miranda, as Dr. Neal rubbed the betadine over the lower part of her back. Nancy looked up at Harm and Mac, giving them a tight, sympathetic smile, as Miranda's cries grew louder, and more frenetic.

Harm put his right arm around Mac's waist, and grabbed her left hand with his, as they watched Dr. Neal insert the needle into Miranda's spine. Their grip on each other tightened as Miranda squealed in pain, their eyes filling with tears.

Dr. Neal's movements were sure, careful, and quick, and she had soon pulled the needle back out of Miranda's back. She placed a Band-Aid on the spot where she'd inserted the needle, and then nodded to Nancy.

Nancy gently rolled the board back, and began un-strapping Miranda, who was screaming at the top of her lungs. The minute she had her free, she handed her to Mac.

Mac cuddled Miranda close, and Harm placed a hand on her back as well, kissing her head.

"Shh, sweetheart," Mac murmured. "Mommy and Daddy are here; it's okay."

"I'll get this off, so we can get the results as quickly as possible," Dr. Neal told them. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Harm nodded, as they continued to try to comfort Miranda.

Nancy quickly cleaned up, giving them an apologetic look, before leaving them alone again.

Mac sat down in a chair and lifted her shirt, unhooking the clasp on her nursing bra. She moved Miranda into position, and was pleasantly surprised when she latched on, and began sucking greedily.

Harm sat beside Mac, gently rubbing Miranda's head while she nursed. "That was traumatic," he said softly.

"And not just for her," Mac agreed, looking at him with a pained expression.

"Yeah," he agreed softly, leaning forward to kiss Miranda, before continuing to caress her head. "We're sorry, princess," he said softly. "It was for your own good; I promise."

Eighteen minutes later, Dr. Neal came back in and shook her head. "The good news is that it's not meningitis," she told them. "The bad news is, we don't know what it is. I'm going to have her admitted to the hospital, and we're going to do a CT scan, just to make sure she's not bleeding internally, though I seriously doubt that's it. Once they've done that, we'll put her on intravenous antibiotics, and then work from there."

Mac and Harm looked at each other.

"You really think it's that serious?" Harm asked her.

"I'm not taking any chances," she told them.

Harm nodded, as Mac stood, putting the blanket over Miranda to cover her while she was nursing.

"I'll walk with you to the Pediatric wing," Dr. Neal told them. "We'll get her admitted, and then when she's finished nursing, she can have the CT scan."

Harm and Mac nodded, gathering their belongings, and then following Dr. Neal out of the exam room.

**12:42 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm and Mac watched as a nurse started an IV on Miranda, both wincing as she began crying again. She'd finally settled down, and was almost asleep after having nursed. The nurse talked to her in soothing tones, gently rubbing her tummy. As soon as she was finished getting her vitals, she stood and looked at Harm and Mac.

"We're going to be taking her to radiology in a few minutes. You can go with her, if you'd like," she said.

"Thank you," Harm replied.

The nurse smiled and nodded, moving silently out of the room.

Mac moved to the crib, and picked Miranda up, holding her close to her, kissing her softly.

"Are you going to call your parents?" she asked Harm.

Harm winced. "Maybe after the CT scan," he replied. "I'd like a better idea of what's wrong with her, before I call them and get them all worried. Are you going to call AJ, or do you want me to?"

"I'll call," she said. "After the CT scan."

Miranda had finally calmed down, and was sucking on her pacifier, her eyes drooping.

"She's so tired," Harm said, as he moved close to them.

Mac sighed. "I know how she feels."

"Mac, if you need to lie down, go ahead," Harm said, indicating the bed near the crib. "You need to take it easy."

"I'll be all right," she told him. "For a little longer, at least."

"I don't know how long I can take off work," Harm said. "I pretty much used all of my leave time in the past year. I suppose I can ask for emergency leave."

"Let's see what they say today," Mac said, "and as long as the CT scan is okay, you can go to work tomorrow, and I'll stay here with Miranda.""Mac," Harm argued. "That's not fair to you. Besides, you need to rest, and you won't be able to do that here."

"I'll rest better here with Miranda, than I will at home. Besides, I can nurse her if I stay here. At home, I'd have to use the breast pump to get bottles to bring back here. My staying here just makes more sense."

Harm sighed. He knew she was right, but he needed to be with his family. "Let's not make any firm decisions until we know what's wrong," he finally said.

Mac smiled for the first time all day, though it was tight and tired. "Agreed."

A few minutes later, someone from patient transport arrived to take Miranda down to radiology.

"I didn't realize she was an infant," she told Harm and Mac, as she indicated the gurney she had brought. "Most of the patients I take down from this ward are older children. I can let you carry her, if you'd rather I not put her on this thing."

"I'd like that," Mac replied. "Thanks."

"No problem ma'am," she said. "If you'll follow me?"

Mac nodded, and she and Harm followed her through the long maze of corridors, to the radiology department.

They'd had to place Miranda's IV bag onto the pole on the gurney, so they had to keep their pace a bit slower than they normally would have.

When they reached radiology, the girl from patient transport said goodbye, handing Miranda's file to the technician who came up to greet them.

"We don't usually get them this young," he said, indicating Miranda. "How long has she been asleep?"

"Only a few minutes," Mac told him. "She's exhausted, so if you can keep from waking her, I'd really appreciate it."

"Well, actually, we have to sedate infants to do this test, so she'll sleep for several hours," he told her. "Why don't you lay her on the gurney, and I'll go get the anesthesiologist to come and administer the sedative."

Mac carefully laid Miranda onto the gurney, and a few minutes later, a man with salt and pepper hair, and a kind smile, entered the room.

"I'm Dr. Whitecloud," he said. "I'll be administering the sedative, and I'll monitor her vitals carefully, while we do the test. It should take about fifteen or twenty minutes for it to take full effect." He brought a couple of chairs over for them to sit in while they waited.

As soon as they were seated, Dr. Whitecloud administered a sedative through Miranda's IV line, and carefully placed an oxygen mask over her face.

"This administers oxygen, but it also has a small dose of medication to help keep her sedated," he told them. "She has to remain completely immobile during the test, so we have to make sure she's soundly asleep."

"What are the dangers?" Harm asked.

"Minimal, since I'll monitor her so closely, " Dr. Whitecloud replied. "Of course, there's always a small risk that something could go wrong, but the chances are slim." He placed a tiny blood pressure cuff on Miranda, and then put an O2 monitor on her as well. When he'd finished doing that, he put some electrodes on her chest, to monitor her heart.

"We're just about ready to start the test," he said. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait out here, but someone will come for you if there's any sign of trouble."

"Thank you," Mac said.

"Yes, thank you, Doctor," Harm echoed his wife.

The radiology tech returned, and they wheeled the gurney through a set of double doors, promising to return as soon as the test was finished.

Harm took Mac's hand, looking at her tenderly. The past few days had been extremely rough for all three of them, but Harm could see that it was taking a real toll on Mac. He was concerned for not only her health, but the health of the unborn babies she carried, as well."As soon as this test is finished, and Miranda is back in her room, I'd like you to lie down for a while and try to sleep," Harm said. "You look completely exhausted."

Mac laid her head on his shoulder. "I am, but Miranda needs both of us right now."

"It won't do her any good if you end up in a room here yourself," Harm told her. "You have to think of the babies you're carrying, as much as Miranda."

Mac nodded tiredly. "I know," she sighed. She was quiet for several minutes, when she finally looked at Harm, her eyes glistening with tears. "Harm?"

"Yeah?" he asked, cupping her face. "What is it?"

"We need our family," she told him. "This is too much for just the two of us to deal with; we need our family here, too."

Harm kissed her forehead softly. "I'll go make some phone calls," he told her.

"Thank you," she said, as he stood and walked out of the room.


	50. Chapter 50

**15:13 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm held his finger to his lips as Admiral Chegwidden, Bud, Harriet, and Sturgis entered Miranda's hospital room. Mac was sleeping on the bed across the room, while Miranda was still soundly sleeping in the hospital crib along the nearest wall. He stood and went out into the hallway, and they all followed him out.

"How is Miranda doing?" AJ asked Harm.

"Well, the anesthesiologist woke her up for a short time after her CT scan, and then she fell back to sleep, and has barely stirred, except when the nurse comes to check her vitals. We're still waiting for Dr. Neal to come and speak to us about the results of the CT scan," he told them.

"What about Mac?" Harriet asked. "She must be exhausted."

"She is," he replied. "I finally convinced her to lie down and sleep for a few hours, promising to wake her when Dr. Neal shows up."

"When was the last time either of you ate anything, buddy?" Sturgis asked him, eyeing his haggard appearance.

"About 07:00 this morning," Harm answered. "Neither of us has wanted to leave Miranda."

"All right then," AJ said, his tone telling Harm he wouldn't take any argument. "You need to go with Sturgis to get something to eat, and bring something back for your wife. I'll stay here with Mac and Miranda, and call you if Dr. Neal shows up, or if there's any problems."

Harm nodded tiredly. "Thank you, AJ."

AJ simply nodded, as Harm followed Sturgis down the hall to find something to eat, and then went back into the room, sitting in the chair Harm had just vacated moments before. Bud and Harriet entered, both sitting in the additional chairs in the room, watching the monitors that were keeping track of Miranda's heart rate, breathing, and other vital signs.

"I hope that it isn't anything serious," Harriet said softly. "Mac doesn't need the added stress right now."

Bud nodded in agreement. The last year had been something of a whirlwind for the Rabbs, and he knew that with the arrival of triplets, on top of having a baby that would be a toddler when said triplets made their appearance, the whirlwind was going to turn into a CAT5 tornado.

They sat speaking quietly amongst themselves for about an hour, when Harm and Sturgis returned. Mac was still sleeping soundly, so they opted to allow her to continue to rest for as long as possible.

"The nurse came in and checked on Miranda about fifteen minutes ago," AJ told Harm. "She said that Dr. Neal should be coming anytime now to speak to you."

"Thanks," Harm said, nodding.

"Harm, do you need us to do anything for you or Mac?" Harriet asked.

"I can't think of anything at the moment," Harm replied.

"Well, just let us know if either of you need anything at all," she said to him.

"Thank you, Harriet," he said, smiling.

"It's really no problem, Harm," she said. "We're happy to help."

Harm smiled at her again, as Dr. Neal entered the room, slightly surprised at the group of people in there, but more surprised at the relative silence in the room.

"We'll wait outside," Harriet said, as she, Bud, and Sturgis left the room.

AJ stood to leave also, but Harm asked him to stay.

"After all, you're her grandfather," he said, smiling.

AJ smiled at him, as he took his seat again.

"Just let me wake Mac," he said to Dr. Neal. "She was exhausted, so I insisted that she get some sleep, but I know she wants to hear Miranda's test results."

Dr. Neal nodded, as she looked curiously at AJ. "You're Miranda's grandfather?" she asked. "Are you Harm's father, or Mac's?"

"Mac's adopted father," he replied, smiling. Though the adoption of Mac wouldn't be official for a few weeks yet, he didn't feel the need to explain the situation.

"Ah," Dr. Neal said, nodding.

Harm woke Mac up gently, and when she was finally awake, he nodded to Dr. Neal.

"We're ready," he told her.

Dr. Neal smiled and nodded. "Well, Miranda isn't bleeding internally, but she does have an infection. Also, the CT scan showed a blockage in her large intestine, which is probably causing her considerable pain. Can you remember when her last bowel movement was?"

Mac frowned, and then her eyes widened. "Actually, it was a couple of days ago, just before she started being so fussy."

Dr. Neal nodded. "My guess would be that her bowel movement caused whatever it is to move until it couldn't move any further, and the pain is what has made her so fussy. If she hasn't had a bowel movement for a few days, it could be because the blockage has her backed up, which will not only make her more fussy, but could cause an infection, too."

"So what can be done about it?" Harm asked.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to do surgery to correct the problem," she said. "Of course there are risks, but the risks to her are greater if we don't do the surgery."

"When do you want to operate?" Mac asked.

"There's an OR open at 19:00, so I'm going to opt for doing it tonight," she replied. "There's no sense in waiting, and letting the poor thing suffer any longer than necessary. The surgery itself is pretty simple, and I should only need to make a small incision to remove the blockage. If things get complicated, I'll have to make a larger incision, and possibly remove part of her large intestine, but she shouldn't have any problems recovering from that. The biggest concern with any surgery on an infant, is the anesthesia."

"Would it be possible to get Dr. Whitecloud to be her anesthesiologist again?" Harm asked. "He seemed extremely knowledgeable, and confident, about infants and the problems that could arise."

"He's one of the best pediatric anesthesiologists I've ever met," Dr. Neal told them, nodding. "I'll see if he's available tonight, since he really is the best choice."

"Thank you," Mac said.

"We'll have Miranda taken to pre-op around 18:30 for prep. The three of you can stay with her right up until we have to take her into the OR. If everything goes smoothly, the surgery will only take about forty-five minutes to an hour, but don't assume if it goes longer that there's a problem. Stuff happens, and sometimes we don't get to start the surgery on time, or other factors come into play, and it takes longer. Just assume that no news is good news, unless you hear otherwise."

Harm and Mac nodded, as they joined hands. "I'll see you in a few hours, then," Dr. Neal said, turning to leave.

**18:46 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm, Mac, and AJ stood beside Miranda's hospital crib in pre-op, watching as Miranda sucked frantically on her pacifier, her eyes gleaming with tears. She had awoken about two hours ago, crying in pain and hunger, and Mac was distressed that she wasn't allowed to feed her, since she was going to be having surgery.

A nurse had brought Mac a breast pump and several empty bottles, and AJ had excused himself for about an hour, to go find something to eat while Mac made use of them.

Harm had held Miranda, rocking her gently while she sucked on her pacifier between wails, until the nurse had finally called Dr. Neal and gotten permission to give Miranda a pain reliever so that she would finally have some relief.

Bud, Harriet and Sturgis had left over an hour earlier, promising to return the next evening, and making Harm and Mac promise to fill them in on how Miranda's surgery went.

"How much longer, I wonder," Harm wondered aloud.

"Thirteen minutes, twenty-two seconds," Mac said automatically.

AJ raised an eyebrow, and then shook his head. "I still wish I knew how you do that," he commented.

"Hey, I'm her husband, and she won't even tell me," Harm said, grinning.

Mac gave them a tight smile, rolling her eyes in Harm's direction. "I wish I could explain it," she said. "I don't even know how I do it."

Dr. Whitecloud entered the room then, smiling warmly at the family. "I understand you specifically requested me," he said, shaking their hands. "It's good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

"We know how you feel," Mac said. "This is AJ Chegwidden; Miranda's grandfather."

"It's a pleasure, sir," Dr. Whitecloud said, shaking the man's hand. "I promise to take good care of this little girl during her surgery," he assured them all. "Unfortunately, I have to tell you all of the bad things that could go wrong, just in case. Understand that the odds are minimal, especially since I'll be monitoring her very closely, but it's a necessary evil that the lawyers insist on."

Harm smiled at him. "We understand," he replied. "We're lawyers, ourselves."

Dr. Whitecloud looked surprised. "Which firm?"

"Navy JAG," AJ responded, grinning.

"Gotcha," Dr. Whitecloud nodded. He quickly explained to them all the possible horrors that could happen during the surgery, and then reassured them that the likelihood of any of those things happening was slim, before having them sign the release papers. When that was finished, he looked down at Miranda, who was still sucking desperately on her pacifier.

"Not to worry, little one," he said softly, gently rubbing Miranda's belly. "You'll feel much better in a few days." He looked at the family, smiling. "You'd better kiss her now; it's time for me to take her back to the OR to get her ready for the surgery."

Mac leaned over the crib and kissed Miranda's forehead before tenderly rubbing her cheek with her forefinger. "We'll be right here, sweetheart," she promised. "You're going to be just fine. I love you." She moved out of the way, allowing Harm to get closer.

Harm leaned in and kissed her, using his forefinger to lightly tap her nose. "Be a good girl, princess," he said. "We love you."

AJ stepped up when Harm moved away, wrapping his arm around his wife. He looked down into Miranda's eyes, smiling softly at her. "You're a Rabb, young lady," he told her, "so do us all proud." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Your Daddy's right; we all love you."

He moved out of the way, and Dr. Whitecloud wheeled the crib out of the room towards the OR, while the family stood and watched until they disappeared behind the double doors.

Mac turned into Harm's embrace, taking a shaky breath.

"She'll be fine, Mac," Harm told her. "Dr. Neal said that this is practically a routine surgery nowadays."

"I know," Mac said softly. "I'm just terrified that something will go wrong. Everything has been so perfect lately, it just seems like something bad has to be lurking around the corner for us."

Harm frowned. "Hey, hey; none of that. You deserve to be happy, and nothing bad is going to happen."

Mac nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "Thank you," she whispered.

Harm rubbed her back, and then led her to the waiting room they'd been shown to earlier.

"I'm going to go get something for the two of you to eat," AJ told them. "Call me on my cell if you hear anything."

"Thank you, AJ," Harm said, as they sat down.

"Mac, try to relax," he said. "You aren't doing yourself or your unborn children any good worrying."

Mac nodded. "I understand," she said, as he disappeared through the elevator doors.

**21:06 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Mac looked up tiredly as the sound of the double doors opening roused her from her light doze, and she immediately stood up, startling both Harm and AJ, who saw Dr. Neal approaching and stood as well.

"How is Miranda?" Mac asked.

"She's fine," Dr. Neal said with a broad smile. "She's a tough little girl, that one. The blockage was worse than I initially thought, so I had to make the incision a bit larger and remove part of the intestine; that's what took us so long. Everything is clear now, and I expect her to make a full recovery. She'll have to stay here for at least two or three days, but I don't foresee any complications. She's in recovery now, with Dr. Whitecloud still watching over her closely. Since she was under full sedation this time, she'll need to be monitored very closely for the next couple of days, as the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is significantly higher in infants that have been under anesthesia, and she's been under twice in twenty-four hours. Her heart rate, O2 sats, respirations, and blood pressure will be monitored around the clock, until we're sure she's completely out of the sedation… probably at least the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. It will help that Mac is going to be staying in her room with her, as that decreases the risk of SIDS."

"When can we see her?" Mac asked.

"She'll be in recovery for a good hour, and then she'll be moved to post-op observation, where they'll let you see her." Dr. Neal replied. "After she's been in post-op for an hour or two, they'll take her back to her room in pediatrics. For at least tonight and tomorrow, no one but immediate family can visit; Mom, Dad & Grandpa. If all goes well tomorrow, you can start allowing visitors outside of the family. I'll check on her first thing in the morning, before I go into the office. Any other questions for me?"

"No," Harm said, after Mac shook her head. "Thank you; for everything."

"You're welcome," Dr. Neal said, smiling. She turned and left the waiting room, glad to be giving good news to the family.

"I know she just told us Miranda is fine, but I don't think I'll be able to relax until I see her for myself," Mac said, wrapping her arms around herself.

Harm moved to her, taking her in his arms. "It's okay," he assured her. "I understand."

"I suppose you'll want to take tomorrow off?" AJ asked Harm.

Harm nodded. "Yeah. I'll plan on going in the next day, but tomorrow I want to be with Miranda while she's recovering from surgery."

"I understand," AJ said. "I'll contact your CO in the morning and fill him in on the situation, and then I'll give you a call. In the meantime, I'm going to go call everyone else and let them know that the surgery was a success, and that Miranda is in recovery.""Thank you, AJ," Harm said, watching as he got up and left the waiting room. He gave Mac's hand a gentle squeeze, turning his attention to her. "I'll go to the house in a few hours to pack some things for you. Let me know if there's anything specific you need, and I'll bring it back for you."

"Are you going to be okay to drive to the house and back tonight?" Mac asked him. "I don't need anything that can't wait until tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Harm asked her. "I don't mind bringing it back tonight."

"I'd rather you didn't; I don't want to be worrying about you driving while you're so tired," she told him.

Harm frowned slightly, debating whether or not to argue with her. He was exhausted, but he'd worked~ and driven~ when he was more tired than this. Seeing her concerned expression, he finally relented. "All right; I'll go home and sleep tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow morning."

Mac nodded. "Thank you," she said, smiling tenderly.

"I'm going to at least stay until she's settled back in her room, though," he told her. "So I'm not going anywhere for awhile yet."

Mac kissed him lightly. "I understand," she said.


	51. Chapter 51

Ever hear the phrase 'when it rains, it pours'? Well, my life is a freakin' monsoon right now! Ugh! Anyway... THANK YOU!!!! for all the great feedback! Your kind and encouraging words keep me writing, and are greatly appreciated. Enjoy...

**09:14 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm entered Miranda's room to find Mac sitting in the rocker the nursing staff had provided for her, breastfeeding the baby girl.

"How is she this morning?" he asked, as he set the bag he'd brought for her on the floor, and kissed his wife.

"Much better," Mac said, smiling up at him. "She slept all night, except for the few times the nurse had to wake her to make sure she was coming out of the sedation okay. They woke her up about an hour ago, and told me about fifteen minutes ago to go ahead and feed her, but to try to keep her awake. They've been giving her pain meds to help with the pain from the surgery, and Dr. Neal came in to check on her at 06:08 this morning, and said she's doing very well."

Harm smiled and nodded, pulling up a chair to sit near her. "AJ called me this morning, and said that he spoke to the CNO, who told him to tell me to take as much time as I need; my family is more important. I still think I should try to go back tomorrow, but we'll see how Miranda is doing this evening, before I make a decision."

"Okay," Mac said, as she rubbed a finger along Miranda's soft cheek, looking into her eyes as she nursed.

Harm rubbed the top of Miranda's head gently, marveling at her soft, auburn curls. "Hey princess, Daddy's here; how's my girl this morning?"

Miranda turned her eyes away from her mother's, and looked in the direction of Harm's voice. She stopped nursing just long enough to give him a smile… the first one they'd seen from her in days… and Harm looked at Mac, both of them grinning at each other in relief.

When Miranda had finished nursing, Mac burped her, and then changed her diaper, before handing her over to Harm.

"I'm going to take a nap for awhile," she told him. "I was up and down all night worried about her."

Harm nodded. "That's fine, Honey," he said, as he cradled his daughter close to him.

Mac smiled, as she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, listening as Harm spoke softly to Miranda.

**12:33 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Admiral AJ Chegwidden tapped lightly on the door to Miranda's room, entering when Harm and Mac looked up and smiled at him, waving him in.

"How is Miranda doing?" he asked.

"Getting better all the time," Mac smiled, the relief in her eyes and voice evident. "Harm even had her laughing a short while ago, before she fell asleep."

"That's good to hear," AJ said, as he took the seat Harm indicated. "Have you two eaten yet today?"

"I ate before I came this morning," Harm told him, before looking at Mac. "I don't suppose you've eaten yet today, since you slept most of the morning after I got here."

"One of the nurses brought me a tray for breakfast at 07:00," she said. "I suppose I should go eat something, though."

"Harm, take your wife to get something to eat; I'll stay here with my granddaughter," AJ said.

"Aye, aye, sir," Harm said, grinning. He took Mac's hand, and began leading her towards the door. "Come on, Mac, Miranda will be fine for an hour without us, and AJ will call us if anything happens."

Mac reluctantly nodded, and followed Harm out of the room. He held fast to her hand while they made their way to the cafeteria.

Harm paid for their food, and they sat down to eat. He was pleasantly surprised by the choices Mac had set before her. She'd ordered a tuna fish sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato, some fresh fruit, a green salad, and some low-fat yogurt. She had apple juice and chocolate milk to drink.

"What?" Mac asked, as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"Nothing," Harm said, biting into his own tuna sandwich. "I'm just surprised that you aren't eating a cheeseburger and fries, that's all."

Mac smiled. "I've been craving fruits and vegetables, and chocolate milk."

"Must be those Rabb genes in the babies," Harm said, grinning.

"You never told me Rabb was short for _rabbit_," she said, rolling her eyes, and laughing.

"Ouch! Very funny, Marine," he said good-naturedly. "Besides, your mother's maiden name was O'Hara, right?"

Mac frowned, puzzled. "So?"

"So? O-_HARE_-ah?" he said, grinning cheekily. "It's in your genes, too."

Mac giggled, and her eyes twinkled. "That was bad, Harm… really bad."

They finished their meal, talking and teasing, and both realized that it had been days since they'd felt this calm and relaxed; they had missed this.

When they were done, they headed back up to Miranda's room, to find AJ holding the infant and talking to her.

"How's Grampa AJ's girl?" he said, grinning at her. "I'm so glad to see you're feeling better. You had us all pretty worried there for awhile little one," he told her.

Miranda stared up at him with wide eyes, smiling at him, occasionally laughing.

AJ chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling. "You are quite a little charmer, aren't you?"

"That she is," Harm agreed, as they fully entered the room.

AJ looked up and grinned at him. "She woke up about five minutes ago, when the nurse came in to take her vital signs," he told them. "She hasn't been crying, though, so I suppose that is a good sign."

"A very good sign," Mac agreed, accepting Miranda from AJ.

"I have to get back to JAG," he told them. "I took a long lunch, but I have an afternoon meeting with the SecNav, and the SecDef, so I need to get back and get some paperwork done before I have to leave for the Pentagon. I'll come again tomorrow."

"Thank you for coming," Mac said, kissing his cheek.

"And thank you for watching her while we went and got something to eat," Harm said, shaking his hand. "We really appreciate everything you've done for us."

"My pleasure," AJ said, smiling. "Call me if you need anything."

They watched him leave, before turning their attention back to Miranda.

**18:46 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Next Day**

Harm walked into Miranda's room and smiled at Mac, who was sitting in the rocking chair reading a book. Miranda was lying in her crib on her stomach, her face turned away from him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Mac, as he walked in and kissed his lovely wife. "Tired of this place yet?"

Mac smiled at him. "A little," she replied. "Dr. Neal said we can probably take Miranda home tomorrow. Other than being a little tired, I feel pretty good."

"Glad to hear it," he said, smiling. "How long as Miranda been asleep?"

"Forty-nine minutes, seventeen seconds," Mac said automatically.

Harm smiled at her, as he noticed Miranda turn her head in his direction, her eyes open. "Hi princess," he said, kneeling over the crib. "How is Daddy's girl today?"

Miranda smiled at him, and turned her face away from him.

Mac smiled. "She's such a flirt," she said.

"Yeah," Harm agreed. He was about to reach for her, when she suddenly rolled over and looked up at him, grinning. "Mac! Did you see that?"

Mac stood, smiling excitedly. "Yes; that's the first time she's ever rolled over."

Harm picked Miranda up and kissed her, before laying her back on her stomach. "Come on, princess, roll over again for Mommy and Daddy."

"Harm," Mac laughed. "She's not a dog."

Harm looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "I know that; but this is an important milestone."

"I'm just teasing you," Mac assured him, as they watched Miranda roll over again, and grin up at them. "I see you," she told the baby girl, grinning when she laughed.

"I think she's feeling better," Harm noted.

"Dr. Neal said the wound in her abdomen is healing perfectly, and they've been able to cut back on her pain meds," Mac told him.

"That's good news," Harm said, picking Miranda up. "That's enough for now, princess. We don't want you straining that incision of yours."

Miranda giggled and bounced in his arms.

"I've really missed this," he told Mac, as he looked down at his daughter. "I was beginning to wonder if she'd ever be happy again."

"Yeah, me too," Mac said. "She was so miserable there for awhile. How was work today?"

"Fine," he said, sitting in the chair across from the rocker and allowing Miranda to gnaw on his finger. "We had meetings at the Pentagon all day, and then I went over to my office to do some paperwork. Admiral Chegwidden got the permission of the CNO and the SecNav for me to prosecute a new case, so I had to go over the file for that. This is going to be a nasty one," he told her. "The Private First Class son of a Marine General is accused of raping the Petty Officer daughter of a Navy Admiral. They're both stationed at Norfolk, so I have to go down there to talk to them both within the next few days."

Mac winced. "I imagine the CNO and the SecNav are all over this one, too," she said knowingly.

"Yeah," he agreed glumly. "Not to mention the fact that the press got wind of it somehow, and it's quickly turning into a media circus."

"Great," Mac said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure AJ is just thrilled with that. I can see why he wants you to prosecute. Who has the unfortunate job of defending?"

"Sturgis," Harm said. "Bud's sitting second chair with me, and I think Sturgis got the new girl… um, Lt. Clark."

"I haven't met her yet," Mac said. "What's she like?"

Harm shrugged. "I haven't had much chance to really talk to her, but she's seems nice enough, and I hear she's smart as a whip. Mattoni said she's like a female version of Bud ten years ago."

Mac chuckled at the mental image that produced.

"By the way," he said. "Bud asked me if we're still planning on attending the Labor Day picnic."

"That's what? Two weeks away?" Mac asked, mentally calculating. "Miranda should be doing fine by then, so yeah, we'll be there."

Miranda lifted her head up and looked at Mac when she heard her name, smiling at her mother.

Mac laughed, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Yeah, we're talking about you," she cooed.

Miranda laughed, bouncing in Harm's arms again, before turning her attention back to chewing on her daddy's finger.

Harm and Mac just looked at one another, smiling.

**13:02 EST**

**Roberts' Home**

**Rosslyn, VA**

**Two weeks later**

Harriet opened the door and smiled broadly at her two friends, hugging them as they entered, and then giving Miranda a kiss on the forehead. "I'm so glad to see you," she told them.

"And I'm very glad you're all better," she cooed to Miranda, who laughed, and bounced in her daddy's arms. Harriet smiled broadly at her.

"She's started trying to sit up," Mac told her, as she carried the casserole she'd brought into the kitchen, while Harm followed them through, and went out the back door to the backyard.

"But she keeps falling over. She gets angry when she doesn't stay upright," Mac said, shaking her head.

Harriet laughed. "That's not unusual," she said. "AJ used to get so angry, his face would turn beet red and he'd scream at the top of his lungs. Don't worry, she'll get the hang of it, and then from there, she'll start crawling, and then walking…"

"Don't rush it!" Mac exclaimed, only half-joking. "She's growing so fast already."

"I know," Harriet agreed. "It seems like just yesterday AJ was born, and now the twins' are already starting to try to walk."

"Need any help with anything?" Mac asked, resolutely changing the subject. They were here to have fun, and enjoy time with their friends and family, not to commiserate on how quickly their babies were growing up.

"I think it's all under control at the moment," Harriet said. "Why don't we go outside and join the party?"

Mac agreed, and they went out to the backyard. Mac made her way over to where Harm was sitting with Bud on a blanket on the grass, the twins and Miranda lying with them, and she sat in front of her husband, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"How are you, Bud?" Mac asked, watching the twins and Miranda as they interacted with each other, giggling and babbling incoherently.

"I'm fine, Mac," he answered, grabbing his daughter's hand before she smacked Miranda in the face, as Harriet sat down beside him and tickled her youngest son. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Mac said, sighing. "But it's getting harder and harder to fit into my clothes. As you can see, I've graduated to maternity outfits already."

"And you still look as beautiful as ever," Harm said, kissing the side of her neck.

Bud smiled at them, as he again intercepted a twin's curious hand.

Jimmy came running over to them, followed closely by Little AJ. "Uncle Harm! Auntie Mac! You came! You came!" he yelled, throwing himself into Mac's arms.

Mac hugged him close. "Hi, Jimmy! How are you?"

"Good," he said, looking up at her, and then giving her a kiss. "Oh! I gotta gets my dina sar!"

They watched as he streaked across the yard, and then ran into the house.

"Hey, AJ," Mac said, holding her arms out to the boy. "How are you?"

AJ walked over and hugged her. "Hi Auntie Mac," he said, accepting her kiss on his cheek before moving away from her. "I'm okay."

"AJ, your dad and I are going flying next weekend, and your mom said it was okay for you to come if you want to," Harm told him.

AJ's eyes lit up. "Can I?"

"Absolutely, Partner," Bud told him. "Mattie is going to be there too, so she can watch you when you're not up in the plane with Harm."

"Will you teach me to fly Uncle Harm?" he asked.

"Hmm… we'll see," Harm told him. "We'll have to make sure that it's okay with your mom and dad first."

"Sweet!" AJ said, making a fist in the air and then pulling his arm towards him.

The adults chuckled, as Jimmy came running from the house, waving a large plastic dinosaur in the air.

"Auntie Mac! Lookie what I gots!" he yelled, thrusting it into her face as soon he was close enough.

Mac dodged the toy, and then took it from him, examining it carefully. "Wow, a Stegosaurus," she said. "That's so neat! Where did you get it?"

"We went to the zee um, and Mama buys it for me 'cause I stayed wif her the whole time," he exclaimed proudly.

"That's great," Mac exclaimed. "Good job!"

"I saw bones like what you got at you's house," he told her. "Only dey was big."

"They were?" Mac said, eyes wide.

Jimmy beamed at her. "Uh-huh; next time you come too an I show you."

"Can Miranda come with us?" Mac asked.

Jimmy sighed. "I guess so."

Everyone laughed, and Mac winked at him. "Maybe we should go while Uncle Harm takes your daddy and AJ flying. Mommy can stay home with the babies."

"All of dems?" he asked hopefully.

"I thought you said Miranda could come with us?" Mac asked him.

"Okay," he agreed. "Mandy go too."

"Mandy?" Mac asked, looking at Harriet.

"It's how he says Miranda," Harriet explained.

"Mandy…" Mac mused softly, looking at Harm with a smile. "That's so cute."

"Hey Roberts! Time to fire up the grill," Mattoni yelled from across the yard. "We're all hungry here."

"Yes, sir," Bud said, as he and Harm stood and made their way over to the barbecue grill, where the other men were gathered already. "Someone go get the gasoline."

"NO!" Harriet, Mac, and all the other women yelled at once.

Bud gave Harm a questioning glance, but when Harm saw the look on his wife's face, he shook his head at the younger man. "Better not, Bud. We'll be sleeping on our sofas for a week if we even try."

Bud looked at Harriet, and then looked at Harm. "All right," he said dejectedly. "I'll go get the charcoal lighter fluid."

AJ looked at Harm, smiling slightly. "Wise decision, Captain."

Harm only smiled sheepishly at him and shrugged. "I know who the boss is."

"Finally," AJ grinned.


	52. Chapter 52

A/N: As always**_, THANK YOU!!!_** for your wonderful feedback. I know I don't get to respond individually, but it really keeps me motivated to write when I have the time, and it is _greatly_appreciated. _**Warning:** **Tissue alert!** _This chapter is an angsty one. Enjoy…

**17:45 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Two months later**

Mac sat on the sofa in the family room, watching Miranda as she sat on a blanket beside her. After her full recovery from her surgery, Miranda had taken off developmentally, and was now doing all of the things that a baby her age (even one that was premature) should be doing.

The kitchen door from the garage opened, and Miranda turned her head in that direction, laughing delightedly and babbling incoherently, as she reached her arms up towards her daddy.

Harm smiled at his baby daughter. "Hi there, Princess," he said, as he set his cover and briefcase on the kitchen island, before moving to the family room to bend over and pick Miranda up and give her a big kiss. "How's Daddy's girl today?"

Miranda giggled again, bouncing in her father's arms.

Harm leaned over and kissed Mac. "And how is my beautiful wife today?"

Mac rubbed her extended abdomen and sighed. "Tired. The babies have been moving around all over the place today, and Miranda has been awake most of the day. I did get a lot of cleaning accomplished, though."

Harm frowned. "Mac…" he said. "You promised to take it easy."

"Don't worry, Harm; when I get tired, I sit and rest. I'm making sure that I don't over-exert myself," she told him.

Harm sat beside Mac on the sofa, moving Miranda to his right arm, as she grabbed the index finger of his right hand and began to gnaw on it, slobbering all over his hand. He reached over and placed his left hand on Mac's abdomen, feeling the movement within, smiling broadly. "I contacted an agency about getting a housekeeper," he told her. "The remodel on the apartment is just about done, so I figure we can hire a live-in."

Mac sighed, but nodded. She'd been fighting getting a housekeeper, but she was realistic enough to admit that things were quickly getting to the point where she needed the help. "Just no young, gorgeous blondes, okay?" she said, grinning at him.

Harm rolled his eyes, returning her grin. Turning serious, he took her hand, pulling it to his lips and kissing it tenderly. "I love you; you know that, right? There isn't a woman in the world that could be more beautiful, or attractive, to me than you."

Mac smiled at him. "You always know just the right thing to say."

Harm winked at her, and then winced when Miranda bit down a little too hard on his finger. "I think Miranda is getting a tooth," he said, pulling his finger away, much to the chagrin of his daughter, who protested with a loud squeal.

"None of that," Harm said sternly, and Miranda immediately stopped fussing and looked up at him with wide eyes, before smiling at him. "Yeah, you're cute, but you still have to behave yourself," he told her, allowing Miranda to take his finger back to chew on some more.

Mac smiled as she watched him interact with Miranda. "So, how was your day?" she asked him.

"Busy," he told her. "First I had a meeting over at the Pentagon with the CNO and the SecNav, and then after lunch, I had to go to JAG to meet with AJ, Bud and Sturgis about a situation at GITMO. When I called SecNav to give him a sit-rep, he told me to meet him at the Pentagon Friday morning at 10:00 hours. Apparently, I'm to join him, AJ, the CNO, and the President, at the White House for their meeting regarding the situation in Okinawa. So I spent the afternoon clearing Friday's schedule, since I don't know how long the meeting is going to take."

"Do you think they'll be sending you to either Okinawa or GITMO?" Mac asked him. "They may want someone with experience in one or both places to help out."

"Well, AJ's sending Sturgis to GITMO in a few days, so if I have to go anywhere, which I doubt, it will be Okinawa," Harm told her.

Mac sighed and nodded. "I really hope that you don't have to go anywhere, but we'll deal with it when, and if, we have to."

Harm leaned over and kissed her, before setting Miranda back onto her blanket on the floor. "I'm going to go change clothes, and then I'll come back and cook dinner."

"Okay," Mac said, shaking her head when Miranda once again let out a loud, angry squeal, and then immediately stopped at a look from her father. "She only does that with you, you know," she told him, smiling.

Harm chuckled, shaking his head. "I should have known," he said, unbuttoning his uniform jacket as he started up the stairs.

**19:52 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm leaned over the crib and kissed his sleeping daughter as soon as Mac had moved out of the way. After they'd had dinner, Harm had bathed Miranda while Mac cleaned up the kitchen, and then Mac had nursed Miranda until she fell asleep.

They moved out of the nursery, flipping the light switch off and closing the door, before they moved back downstairs to the family room, where Mac made sure the baby monitor was turned on before taking a seat on the sofa.

Harm wrapped his arms around Mac, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled into his embrace. "The contractor is meeting with us on Saturday to discuss the changes we want to make to the house," he told her. "He says that they can work when the weather is clear, even through the winter."

Mac nodded. "So you're sure the plans we settled on are okay? You don't want to change anything?"

"No," he replied. "I'm happy with what we've decided on."

"Good," Mac said. "Your mother called, and said that we are invited to Thanksgiving Dinner at your grandmother's house this year. She and Frank are going to be returning from Greece, so they'll meet us at Grammy's, and then drive back with us and spend the month. Then they'll head home after Christmas."

Harm nodded. "Are you up to having my parents here for a whole month?" he asked. "I don't want you to be overwhelmed."

"I'll be fine, Harm," she answered. "I love your parents. Besides, you know that they're not going to let me overdo it. If I know Trish, she'll be trying to take care of me the whole time she's here."

Harm chuckled, nodding in agreement. "You're probably right. Do you want to fly to Grammy's, or drive?"

"Well, we _do_ have that nice plane that we bought, so we may as well fly," she said, smiling. "As long as the weather is good."

Harm grinned at her. "Good idea."

Mac rolled her eyes at him, and smiled. "Mattie will be here on Friday night, don't forget. Tom says she's doing really well with her flying lessons, and she made Honor Roll again."

"I'm so proud of her," Harm said. "She's doing great."

Mac yawned, as she nodded her head in agreement. "Sorry," she said.

"Don't be," Harm told her, kissing her tenderly. "Why don't you head up to bed? I'll be there in a little while."

Mac nodded. "Don't stay up too late," she told him.

"I won't," he promised.

An hour later, Harm was just finishing up some paperwork he was working on in the office, when he heard Mac call his name. Something about her tone caused him to immediately stop what he was doing and rush up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Mac?" he called, when he didn't find her in the bedroom.

"Harm," Mac gasped from the bathroom.

Harm rushed into the bathroom to find Mac on the floor in a pool of blood, clutching her abdomen. "Mac!" he exclaimed, kneeling beside her. "Honey?"

Mac looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "Call for help," she whispered.

His heart constricting in his chest, Harm leapt to his feet and raced to the bedroom, grabbing the phone to dial 911, as he again returned to the bathroom and knelt beside his wife. He spoke to the operator, explaining the situation to him. As soon as he was assured an ambulance was on the way, Harm hung up the phone and dialed AJ's number.

"Chegwidden," a gruff voice answered.

"AJ, it's Harm," he said. "There's an ambulance on the way to my house… something's wrong with Mac and the babies," he managed to get out, as Mac barely managed to squeeze his hand, just before losing consciousness. "I need someone to come and take care of Miranda."

"On my way," AJ told him. "Do you want me to meet you at the hospital?"

"Please?" Harm asked.

"See you in twenty," AJ said, hanging up the phone.

The sound of sirens outside were quickly followed by the sound of someone banging on the front door.

Harm rushed downstairs, and flung the door open, leading the EMT's up the stairs. They followed him upstairs to the bathroom, and Harm kneeled down and gently placed Mac's head in his lap.

He answered their questions as they worked on her, and then moved out of their way as they loaded her onto the stretcher. He heard Miranda's cries through the baby monitor, and he glanced at the lead EMT. As soon as he found out for sure which hospital they were taking Mac to, he told them he'd be right behind them, and then rushed to the nursery to gather Miranda, the diaper bag, and a blanket. He stopped long enough to grab a couple of bottles out of the refrigerator, and lock up the front door, before he carried Miranda to the garage and strapped her into the car seat in his SUV, sticking her pacifier in her mouth and kissing her forehead before he hopped into the driver's seat and took off towards the hospital.

**22:22 EST**

**Prince William Hospital**

**Manassas, VA**

Harm looked up as AJ entered the waiting room and called his name. "AJ," he said in relief, as he allowed him to take Miranda out of his arms.

"Any word?" AJ asked, as he took a seat beside Harm.

"Not yet," Harm said, shaking his head.

They sat in silence for another ten minutes, before a nurse came out of a set of double doors.

"Mr. Rabb?" she asked.

Harm and AJ both stood. "Yes?"

The nurse glanced at AJ uncertainly.

"This is my wife's father," he told her.

The nurse nodded. "I came to take you back to her," she told him. "The doctor is still with her, but she's awake and she has been asking for you rather insistently."

Harm looked at AJ.

"Go," AJ told him. "I'll call the family."

Harm nodded his thanks, and followed the nurse through the double doors to the room where the doctor was with Mac.

"Harm!" Mac called out as soon as she saw him, stretching her hand out to him as he rushed to her side.

"I'm here," he assured her.

"Miranda?" she asked, wincing in pain.

"With AJ," he told her, kissing her knuckles.

Mac nodded, just before the doctor looked up at her.

"Mrs. Rabb, you need to take a deep breath and lie as still as you can," he told her.

Mac did as instructed, as she and Harm listened to the activity going on around them, clinging tightly to each other.

When Harm walked out to the waiting room a few hours later, he found Bud, Harriet, Sturgis, Varese, Chaplain Turner, and Jennifer sitting with AJ, anxiously awaiting news.

AJ looked at Harm, and his heart dropped into his shoes. He'd seen the devastated, haunted look in his eyes once before~ the night he'd found Bud Roberts sitting alone in JAG HQ after baby Sarah had died.

Harriet handed Miranda over to Jen, as she, Bud, and AJ went to Harm. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tightly.

"How's Mac?" she asked him.

Harm squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "She's sleeping now. They… managed to save one of the babies, but they couldn't do anything for the other two. They had to sedate her…" he suddenly stopped and swayed, and only AJ's firm grip kept him from hitting the floor.

AJ, Sturgis, and Bud helped him to a chair in the waiting room, and he slumped into it in exhaustion.

Miranda saw her father, and squirmed in Jen's arm's, fussing and reaching for him. Jen tried to shush her, bouncing her gently, but Harm looked at her and gave her a sad smile, and reached out to take her from Jennifer.

"Hey Princess," he said , holding her close to him and kissing her tenderly. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and took a deep, shaky breath, forcing himself to hold the tears at bay. "Daddy's got you," he whispered.

Harriet turned to Bud, and they wrapped each other in a tight embrace, both sharing in the pain that their best friends' were going through right now, as they remembered the loss of their own child.

Sturgis and Varese held one another's hands, while Chaplain Turner sat beside Jennifer, taking her hand in his. They gathered together, silently offering their love and support to Harm.

After nearly half an hour, Harm finally looked up at them. "I need to get back to Mac," he said. "And I need to figure out who's going to keep Miranda for a day or two."

"I'll take care of Miranda," AJ said, looking at Harriet and Jen. "We'll work it out. You just concentrate on Mac."

Harm nodded. "Thank you," he said, kissing Miranda and handing her over to her grandfather again. "Be good for Grampa, Princess," he told her, before hugging Jen, Harriet and Varese, and shaking hands with Bud, Sturgis, and Chaplain Turner.

"Harriet, can you give AJ your set of keys, so he can get into the house?"

"We'll take care of everything, Harm," she promised. "Call us in the morning to let us know when we can visit Mac."

Harm nodded, and then moved back to the double doors that would take him to his wife. Taking a deep breath, and squaring his shoulders, he pushed the doors open and stepped through.

They all watched him go, and then turned back to each other.

"Before we settle arrangements on who's going to take care of Miranda, I'd like to pause a moment to pray for the Rabbs," Chaplain Turner requested.

Nodding, the group gathered round and held hands, as Chaplain Turner said a short prayer for not only Harm and Mac, but their extended family as well.


	53. Chapter 53

A/N: Hi all! Sorry this took so long; I had to work seven days straight this week, since the boss was out of town. UGH! Anyhow, I should probably issue another _**tissue alert!!**_ I cried writing this chapter! THANK YOU!!! for all of the terrific feedback. I promise to write more as time allows. Enjoy…

**03:47 EST**

**Prince William Hospital**

**Manassas, VA**

Harm jerked his head forward, shaking off sleep yet again, as he waited for Mac to wake up.

A nurse noticed, and sighed. Walking out to the nurse's station, she spoke briefly with the charge nurse, before going down a few doors to find a fold away bed, rolling it into the room where Mrs. Rabb was still sleeping off the sedatives the doctor had given her.

"Mr. Rabb," she said, as she moved the fold away bed beside Mrs. Rabb's hospital bed. "I know this won't be as comfortable as your own bed, but it has to be more comfortable than that chair. Your wife probably won't wake up for several hours yet, so why don't you lie down and try to get some sleep for a few hours?"

Harm eyed the fold away bed with a cross between distaste and longing. He knew the nurse was right~ he really needed to get some sleep~ but he also knew that the tiny bed wasn't nearly large enough for his six-foot-four-inch frame. Sighing in resignation, he nodded to the nurse.

"Thank you," he said, as she smiled and moved to make up the bed for him. As soon as she was finished, he settled himself onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

The nurse smiled, covering him with a blanket, and then checked on Mrs. Rabb, before lowering the lights, and leaving the sleeping couple in peace.

A few hours later, Mac slowly opened her eyes and looked around the dimly lit room. She noticed the monitors beside her bed, trying to figure out what they were all for. She recognized the one that kept track of her heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiration. Noting each of the numbers displayed on the screen, she looked at the other monitor that was near her, and realized that it was a fetal heart rate monitor. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized that there was only one heartbeat being monitored, and the events of the previous evening came rushing back.

A noise caught her attention, and she moved so that she could see what had caused it, wincing in pain as she did so. Seeing Harm sleeping on the small fold away bed, a tear slipped from her eye as she saw the lines furrowing his brow, and the way he tossed and turned. She lay back on the bed, crying softly, trying not to wake Harm.

A few minutes later, she felt his strong hand on her arm, and she looked up into his stricken eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. "You have every right to cry…"

Mac shook her head. "No, I don't," she protested. "Harm, I'm so sorry… it's my fault… it's all my fault. If I'd listened to you… if I'd taken it easy… then we wouldn't have lost…"

Harm's eyes widened, as he carefully pulled her into his embrace. "Mac, Honey, this is _not _your fault. The doctor said there was nothing that you could have done differently to prevent this… it's a direct result of the endometriosis."

Mac pulled away, her eyes wide. "What? I thought Dr. Martindale said~"

Harm shook his head. "The surgery, and the fertility drugs you were inadvertently given, allowed you to conceive, but the endometriosis has weakened your uterus to a point that it couldn't support three fetus'," he told her. "As it is, you may have to spend the rest of the pregnancy on bed rest, and there's still no guarantee that we won't lose this one, too."

Mac took a shaky breath, and shook her head. "We can't lose this one," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, as she firmly clutched onto him. "We just can't."

Harm held her close as she began to sob. They sat there clinging tightly to one another in their shared grief for a very long time.

**08:00 EST**

**Prince William Hospital**

**Manassas, VA**

AJ silently entered Mac's room, to see Harm and Mac holding tightly to one another, soundly sleeping in the hospital bed. He gave a small smile at the sight, before sitting silently in the chair beside the bed.

A nurse entered and smiled softly at him. "They've been that way for hours," she told him quietly. "None of us have had the heart to disturb them."

AJ nodded. "Thank you," he said, also keeping his voice low. "I have the feeling that they're both sleeping better than they would be if they were separated."

"Are you related?" she asked, as she checked the monitors above Mac's bed and made a few notes on the paper in her hands.

"I'm Sarah's father," he told her, smiling slightly as he fondly remembered the day that the adoption had become final, and the look of happiness on Mac's face as she hugged him after they'd both signed the papers.

A noise at the door made them both look in that direction, and AJ stood when he saw Trish, Frank, and Grandma Sarah enter the room.

The nurse began to protest, but AJ put a finger to his lips, motioning towards the sleeping couple.

"This is Harm's family," he told her, as he moved closer to them.

"Why don't we take this outside?" Frank suggested, and AJ nodded in agreement.

"Who has Miranda?" Trish asked, as soon as they were outside of the room, moving towards the waiting area.

"Harriet has her today," he replied. "We're trying to work out some kind of schedule. Now that you're here, that will help." He motioned for them to take seats, and he sat down as well.

"How are Harm and Mac?" Trish asked.

AJ sighed. "I haven't spoken to Mac yet, and Harm was trying to put on a brave front last night, but I imagine they are both taking this very hard. They were ecstatic about having triplets, and to have lost two of them…" he trailed off and sighed. "The doctor says that it's possible that Mac will be on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy, which is not going to go over well with her, I can imagine. Especially since they have a baby at home to take care of already."

"We'll do everything we can to help out," Trish assured him. "I know Harm was looking for a housekeeper, but I don't know if he managed to find one yet."

AJ shook his head. "He told me yesterday afternoon that he'd contacted an agency about hiring one, but he hadn't even begun the process of interviewing anyone. He wanted to tell Mac, first."

"Maybe he can hire a full-time nurse to take care of Mac, and Miranda," Frank said.

AJ nodded. "That would be a good idea."

"Mom?" Harm's voice sounded from the front of the waiting area.

Everyone looked up to see him standing in the doorway, his disheveled appearance mute testimony to the tragic night he'd just endured.

Trish stood and hugged him, as did Grandma Sarah.

"How are you, Darling?" Trish asked him.

Harm shrugged. "Fine."

"How's Mac?" Sarah asked.

"She's awake now," he replied. "They came to draw labs, and the nurse told us you were all here. She'd like to see you all… you can go ahead and go back." He looked at Frank. "May I speak with you?"

"Of course," Frank said, nodding to the others. "We'll be there soon."

They nodded and started off towards Mac's room.

As soon as they were gone, Harm looked to Frank, his eyes expressing everything he was feeling. "Dad…" he said, his breaking as Frank pulled him into a fierce hug, and Harm finally let go of all the emotion built up inside of him.

Trish paused a moment to look back at her son and husband, and she gasped, causing AJ and Sarah to stop and turn to see what had caused her reaction.

Even the normally stoic, former SEAL got a little misty-eyed at the sight of Harm clinging to his stepfather while his body shook with heart-wrenching sobs.

Trish wiped away the tears in her eyes, pulling herself together. "Let's go see Mac, shall we? Harm's in good hands."

They all turned and moved to Mac's room.

Trish tapped on the door, before poking her head inside.

"May we come in?" she asked.

Mac looked up and smiled wanly at Trish. "Of course," she said softly.

Trish, Grammy Sarah, and AJ entered the room, moving to stand by Mac's bed. Each one of them took a turn giving her a hug.

"How are you feeling?" Trish asked, as AJ went and rounded up chairs for them to sit in.

"Tired," Mac replied. "I don't think the sedative has worn completely off yet."

"We won't stay too long," Trish promised. "Do you need anything?"

"I need the breast pump, and some bottles," she replied. "And I'd really like someone to bring Miranda here… I really need to see her."

Trish looked at AJ and nodded.

"We'll work something out," AJ promised.

"Where are Harm and Frank?" Mac asked.

"They're out in the waiting room," Trish replied. "They're talking."

Mac nodded in understanding. "I'm probably going to be moved to Bethesda tonight or tomorrow," she told them. "Dr. Martindale was here a little while ago, and she wants to monitor me for a few days. I guess that will be easier if I'm at Bethesda."

"When will they know for sure when you're being moved?" AJ asked.

"In a few hours," Mac said. "They want to make sure I'm stable enough to move without risking the other baby."

Everyone nodded, as a nurse entered the room. "Your husband asked me to tell you that he and his father were going outside for a walk," she said to Mac.

Mac nodded. "Thank you," she replied.

The nurse checked the monitors above Mac's bed, making notes on her chart, before checking the bag hanging on the IV pole.

"Do you need anything, Mrs. Rabb?" the nurse asked Mac.

"No, thank you," Mac said.

"You know how to call me, if you need me," she said, before leaving the room.

Mac nodded, and placed her hand on her abdomen, feeling the baby still remaining moving around. It was at once comforting, and difficult for her.

"How far along are you now?" Trish asked.

"Eighteen weeks," Mac said softly. "Almost half way there." She took a deep, shuddering breath, and then the tears started. "We were so happy…"

AJ moved to sit beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms. She placed her head on his shoulder, sobbing softly, as he held her.

Trish looked at Sarah, and their own eyes filled with tears.

**14:22 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm took Mac's hand, as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, sighing.

"Why don't you sleep for awhile?" he suggested. "It could be a couple of hours before AJ gets here with Miranda."

Mac opened her eyes and looked at him. "I hope not; I really need to see her right now."

Harm nodded, and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Do you want me to call him?"

Mac shook her head. "No; he'll be here as soon as he can." She moved over on her bed, and patted the space beside her. "Why don't you lie down here with me for awhile? Maybe we can both get some sleep."

Harm stood, slipping his shoes off, and carefully settled himself beside her on the bed, so that he was facing her. He pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Harm?" Mac said softly.

"Yeah?" he replied quietly.

"You don't have to be strong for me, you know," she told him. "I understand that you're probably at least as upset as I am, and I won't think any less of you for showing me how much you're hurting, and it won't upset me if you want to talk about it."

Harm pulled back slightly, so that he could look into her eyes. "Thank you," he said, kissing her forehead. "I talked to Frank, and even cried with him, so for now, I'm okay. You know that you don't have to be strong for me, either, right?"

Mac nodded. "I know."

"Good," he said, "now close your eyes and try to sleep for a bit."

Mac gave him a tight smile, and kissed his chin. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said.

"Harm? We're going to get through this, right?" she asked softly.

Harm tightened his hold just a little, and then pulled away enough to look into her eyes. "It won't be easy, but I promise you, we _will_ get through this," he said, brushing the tear that slipped from her eye away with his thumb.

Mac nodded, and finally closed her eyes, as Harm again pulled her close to him, and they settled in to sleep.

One hour and eighteen minutes later, Mac awoke when she heard Miranda fussing. She looked up and saw Trish holding her, bouncing her gently, trying to soothe her.

"Trish," Mac said, gently rousing Harm awake. "I thought AJ was going to bring her by?"

"He did," she replied, as Harm groggily sat up and brushed a hand through his hair. "But he received an emergency call, so he had to leave again, and since we were here, we volunteered to stay with her."

Harm moved to one of the chairs near the bed. "Where are Dad and Grammy?"

"Frank took Sarah to get something to eat, and then to check into our hotel. We booked us rooms at the Marriott down the street. Frank booked you one, as well," she told her son.

Miranda began fussing in earnest, reaching for her mother, and Trish tried again to soother her.

"Here, Trish," Mac said, holding her arms open, after she'd raised the head of the bed. "I'll take her."

Trish handed Miranda to Mac, and Mac held her close, kissing the top of her head.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mac murmured. "Mommy's got you."

Miranda squirmed until she was being cradled in Mac's arms, and then she turned her head and began trying to nurse.

Mac smiled, as she leaned forward and pulled her arm out of her hospital gown, moving it out of the way and allowing Miranda to latch on. She sighed when Miranda settled down, happily nursing, and she rubbed her finger along the baby girl's cheek. "That's all you wanted, wasn't it?" she said softly.

Miranda looked up and smiled at her mother, and then went back to nursing.

Trish shared a smile with Harm, and sat in the other chair near the bed.

"AJ packed you a bag when he went back to the house to get some more things for Miranda," she told Harm. "If you need anything else, someone can go to the house and get it for you."

"Thank you, Mom," Harm said. "AJ told me last night that he spoke to my CO, and I can have a couple of days off. I know I've used up most of my leave time, but right now, Mac is my priority."

Mac smiled at him. "Dr. Martindale said that I'm staying here for at least the next forty-eight hours; we'll see how it goes from there."

"She's supposed to come and see you before she goes home for the night, isn't she?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "That's what she said earlier."

"If she thinks you'll be okay, I may go to work tomorrow afternoon for a few hours," he said. "There's only a few more days before the weekend starts, so I'll try to work as much as I can until then."

"That's probably a good idea," Mac said. "Someone will call you, if there's a problem, and your family is here. As long as I get to keep Miranda with me as much as possible, I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" Harm asked. "I don't want you overdoing it."

"I'm sure," she promised. "And I'm sure Trish, Frank, and Grammy will make sure I don't overdo it."

"Count on it," Trish said, smiling.


	54. Chapter 54

A/N: Hi all! I'm doing a happy dance, as I've found time to write the last few days! I like my job, but I don't like that I'm too tired to do much after work! Between that, and taking care of my chronically ill hubby, I have a full schedule. Anyhow, here's the next chapter… I will get the next one out as my free time allows. As always, THANK YOU for the great feedback, it really, truly, keeps me motivated to write! Enjoy…

**12:16 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**Next Day**

Mac looked up from playing with Miranda, to see Dr. McCool standing in the door.

"May I come in?" Dr. McCool asked.

"Yes, of course," Mac said. "Please, have a seat."

Dr. McCool sat in one of the chairs near the bed, and smiled at the sight of Mac playing pat-a-cake with Miranda.

"She's really grown since you brought her by my office a few months ago," Dr. McCool commented.

Mac smiled at her and nodded. "She's still a bit small, but the pediatrician says that's normal, since she was premature."

Miranda looked up at her mother and smiled, cooing at her. When she felt the baby inside of Mac kick, she jumped, and turned to look for the source, frowning in obvious puzzlement.

Mac chuckled. "Did you feel your brother or sister kick you?" she asked her.

Miranda looked at Mac and grinned, until she felt the baby kick again, and she once again jumped, and looked for the source, making a noise of obvious displeasure.

Mac and Dr. McCool laughed, and Mac took Miranda's hand and placed it against her abdomen so that she could feel the baby kicking.

"That's your brother or sister… you'd better get used to that feeling, you're going to be feeling it for several more months," Mac told her.

Miranda patted Mac's tummy as the baby inside kept kicking, and soon it became a happy game.

"Oh, great," Mac laughed. "Now I'm getting it from both sides."

Dr. McCool laughed as well, watching for a few more minutes, before she turned serious. "Your family left you alone with Miranda?" she asked Mac.

"Only for a short time," Mac replied. "The nurse said to call if I needed any help with her, until the family gets back from lunch."

"How are you, Mac?" Dr. McCool asked her.

"Okay," Mac said softly. "It's been difficult, but having Miranda with me has helped. I can't change what's happened, but I have a living, healthy baby right here that needs me right now, and another one coming in a few months; it's best I focus on that."

"It's important to let yourself grieve, too. Just because you never got a chance to hold your babies, doesn't mean the loss you feel is any less significant," Dr. McCool told her.

"Harm and I spent most of last night talking, and crying, together," Mac said softly. "It helped us both. And, as I said, having Miranda to care for and play with has helped a lot, too."

Dr. McCool nodded. "It sounds as if you and Harm have come a long way, and are dealing with the issue in a healthy manner. The fact that the two of you are talking with one another is very encouraging."

"It feels like we're doing the right thing," Mac replied.

"Well, just call if you, or Harm, need someone else to talk to. My door is always open," McCool told her.

"I really appreciate the offer," Mac told her. "I'll be sure to pass the message on to Harm, as well."

Dr. McCool stood, moving over to shake Mac's hand, and then she brushed the tip of Miranda's nose, distracting her from the baby moving inside of her mother, and eliciting a delighted giggle from the baby girl.

"I'll see you later on," Dr. McCool said to Mac.

"Good bye," Mac said.

**18:57 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**3 Days Later**

Harm followed Mac in through the kitchen door, carefully watching for any signs that she was having trouble, as she made her way to the sofa and settled down in a reclining position.

"I'm going to take these upstairs," Harm said, holding up the bags that Trish had packed for them days earlier.

Mac nodded, as AJ covered her with a blanket and handed her a cup of peppermint tea.

"Do you need anything else?" AJ asked her.

"For everyone to stop hovering, maybe?" she said, raising an eyebrow in his direction. When he gave her a stern look, she sighed. "I didn't think so."

AJ gave a tiny smile, and sat down in one of the chairs.

Trish came downstairs carrying Miranda, who squealed excitedly when she saw her mother, holding her arms out and reaching for her.

Mac smiled, accepting the baby girl from her mother-in-law. "How's Mommy's girl today?" she cooed at Miranda.

Miranda laughed, kicking her feet excitedly.

Mac gave Miranda a kiss, and began playing with her.

Miranda giggled and screeched happily as her mother played with her, while the other adults in the house had gathered in the family room and were watching with smiles on their faces.

Harm grabbed a chair from the dining room, placing it near the couch, so he could be close to Mac and Miranda. He smiled as Miranda reached up and grabbed at Mac's nose, and then shrieked excitedly when Mac grabbed her hand and blew a raspberry on the open palm.

"She loves it when you do that," Harm told the rest of the family, who was watching with open amusement.

Miranda looked over at the sound of his voice and grinned at Harm, reaching out towards him, as Mac tightened her hold to keep the squirming baby girl from falling face first onto the floor.

Harm took hold of her, and pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the cheek. Miranda bounced and made a humming sound, and Harm laughed.

"Oh, I know what you want," he said, grasping her around the middle and holding her over his head, while he moved her gently around and made 'airplane' noises.

Miranda kicked her legs and laughed excitedly, and the other adults couldn't help but laugh with her.

"Corrupting that child already, Harmon?" Trish asked, still grinning.

Harm shrugged. "Hey, the need to fly is in the Rabb blood."

"Oh, good heavens," Grammy said, rolling her eyes. "Not you, too. Your father and grandfather both used to say exactly the same thing."

Harm just grinned at his grandmother, as he again pulled Miranda close to him and kissed her cheek.

"I think she'll know how to fly, before she knows how to ride a bicycle," Mac said, grinning. "He'd probably try to teach her before she learns to walk, but I won't let him take her up in his Stearman that soon."

"I have the Lear, now," Harm smirked. "I can teach her to fly that."

"In your dreams, Flyboy," Mac said with a mock glare.

Harm only grinned and shrugged.

"Dinner is almost ready," Grammy announced. "We'll bring you a plate, Mac."

"I can get up to sit at the dinner table with everyone else," Mac protested.

Harm shook his head. "Mac, Dr. Martindale was adamant that you rest in a reclining position, as much as possible… and only two trips up and down the stairs a day."

Mac sighed in frustration, but nodded. She knew that the survival of her remaining unborn baby was dependent on her following the doctor's orders.

Harm handed Miranda back to her, and kissed her forehead. "Hang in there, Marine; it's for a good cause."

Mac smiled softly, and nodded at him. "Yeah, it certainly is."

**06:46 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**2 Weeks Later**

Mac scowled as she watched Harm get dressed for work. She'd been on bed rest for over seventeen days, and she was bored out of her skull. She'd watched every DVD they owned at least twice, read every novel in the house (and even some law books), and had discovered there was absolutely _nothing _worth watching on television during the day, even though they had 369 channels through their satellite provider.

Harm paused as he was putting his jacket on, and winced at the look on his wife's face.

"I _hate_ this!" Mac said, crossing her arms and pouting. "I can't believe I have four more months of this!"

Harm took a deep breath, and sat beside her on the bed. "I wish I could do something for you, but aside from hiring the nurse, I don't know what I _can _do." He brushed her hair out of her eyes, and kissed her forehead.

"I know," Mac replied. "I'm just so frustrated, I don't know what to do. I understand the reasons why, and I realize that it's important for me to follow the doctor's orders, but I'm bored out of my mind."

"Hang in there, Mac," he said, kissing her tenderly.

Mac smiled tiredly at him. "You'd better get to work; I wouldn't want you to be late on my account."

"I can take a day, if you need me here," he said.

"No," Mac replied. "You need to be at work; you've missed enough recently. Has Lily come in yet?" she asked, referring to the live-in nurse-slash-housekeeper they'd hired just before his parents and grandmother had left a week ago.

"She came in about twenty minutes ago," Harm told her, as he stood and finished getting ready for work. "She was making breakfast for you, so that you can eat before Miranda wakes up and needs to be fed."

Mac nodded. "I really appreciate you making sure she understands that I want to care for Miranda as much as possible on my own."

"Hey, just because you can't get up and move around, doesn't mean that you can't still be her mother," he told her. "You ready to go downstairs?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Okay, my love," he said, helping her up. "Let's get you downstairs."

Mac allowed him to help her out of the room, and down the stairs. As soon as she was seated on the sofa, he placed her pillow behind her back, and put her feet up onto the sofa, covering her with the afghan from the back of the sofa.

"You have to go, or you're going to be late," she said.

Harm leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she told him. "Call me when you have a chance?"

"I promise," he said as he walked into the kitchen, picking up the travel mug of coffee Lily had left on the counter for him. He toasted her with the mug, winking at her, and then walked out of the kitchen to the garage.

Lily came out of the living room, and smiled at Mac.

"Good morning, Mac," she said. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Other than the fact that I'm bored out of my skull, I feel fine," Mac replied.

"I have your breakfast for you," Lily said. "Are you ready to eat?"

Mac nodded. "Yes, please. Miranda should be waking up soon."

"Would you like me to change and dress her before I bring her down to you, or would you like to do it?" Lily asked.

"If you could change and dress her, that would be great," Mac said, accepting the plate Lily handed her, and thanking her for it. "Then I can feed her cereal to her, before I nurse her."

"Works for me," Lily said. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you," Mac answered.

Lily quickly cleaned up the kitchen, and then came to take Mac's plate from her, before rinsing that and putting it into the dishwasher. She had just brought Mac a glass of milk and her morning medications, when they heard Miranda making noise on the baby monitor.

"I'd better go and get her, before she gets going," Lily said to Mac.

Mac smiled and nodded. "Good idea. I'll see you both in a couple of minutes."

She heard Miranda starting to fuss, just a moment before she heard Lily talking to her.

"Good morning, Miss Miranda," Lily's voice came over the baby monitor. "Your Mommy is up and ready to feed you. Shall we change you and get you dressed, so you can go and see her?"

Miranda cooed and laughed, and then she heard Lily talking to Miranda as she changed and dressed her for the day.

"Okay, let's go downstairs, shall we?" she asked Miranda.

A few moments later, they came down the stairs, and Miranda saw Mac and squealed in delight, holding her arms out for her mother.

Lily handed her to Mac, and then headed into the kitchen to make Miranda's cereal.

"What'll it be today?" Lily asked Mac from the kitchen. "Rice or wheat cereal? Bananas or applesauce?"

Mac chuckled, as Miranda placed her hand on her abdomen, and patted at the spot where the baby was kicking. "Rice with applesauce," she replied to Lily. "Do you feel your baby brother or sister kicking again?" she asked Miranda.

Miranda looked at Mac and laughed, and then went back to patting her tummy. She stopped what she was doing when Lily brought the high chair out of the dining room, and set the bowl of baby cereal on the coffee table. She looked at Mac, and then tried to lunge for the bowl, but Mac's quick reflexes kept her from taking a nose dive.

"One of these days I'm not going to be quick enough to catch you," she told the baby girl. "You are not going to be a happy camper when that happens."

Lily smiled, holding her hands out for Miranda. She took her from Mac, and set her in the high chair, strapping her in, before pushing the tray back into place and moving it close to the sofa.

"Can you manage okay?" she asked Mac.

Mac nodded, sitting up straighter so that she could reach, and accepted the bowl from Lily. "I think we're good."

"I'll be upstairs cleaning up Miranda's room, and then I'll be back down to check on you two. Holler if you need anything before then," she told Mac.

"Thank you, Lily," Mac said, as she spooned a glob of cereal into Miranda's open mouth.

Miranda laughed, smacking her hands on the tray of the high chair and bouncing. When Mac didn't immediately offer another spoonful of cereal, she let out a loud squeal of protest.

"Hey! What is that?" Mac asked sternly.

Miranda's eyes widened, and then she grinned at Mac.

Mac shook her head, smiling ruefully, and gave Miranda another spoonful of cereal. "You've got that Rabb smile… I'm in _so_ much trouble," she muttered.


	55. Chapter 55

A/N: Hello! I promise, I haven't forgotten about you all! THANK YOU!!! For the wonderful feedback… it really, truly keeps me motivated to keep going! RL hasn't let up, but I'm trying my best to get more out to you. My work schedule has been all over the board (they changed our schedules three times already this week!), and my hubby is being scheduled to remove both kidneys sometime in the next couple of weeks, so bear with me! Enjoy…

**17:46 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Two Weeks Before Christmas**

Harm walked in through the kitchen door from the garage, and smiled at Lily.

"Dinner smells delicious," he said.

"Thank you," she answered. "It'll be ready in about twenty minutes."

Harm nodded, as he set his things on the kitchen island, and looked over to where Mac was sitting on the family room floor, her back against the sofa.

"Harm! You have to come see this," she said excitedly, as she indicated Miranda, who was on her hands and knees rocking back and forth.

Harm moved to her side, kneeling, and smiling widely. "What is it?"

"Watch," she said, bending over as much as her protruding abdomen allowed. "Mir-an-da," she sing-songed, holding her hands open with the palms up. "Come see Mommy…. Come here, sweetie."

Miranda giggled, rocking faster on all fours, and then crawled over to Mac.

Harm's eyes widened, and he looked at Mac excitedly. "She crawled!"

Mac scooped Miranda up, cuddling her close, and kissing her several times, much to the delight of the laughing infant.

"She started doing that about an hour ago," she told Harm, as she handed Miranda over to him so that he, too, could kiss and cuddle her.

Miranda laughed again at Harm, and then bounced in his arms making humming noises.

Harm grinned, holding her around the middle, and hoisting her above his head, moving her around and making airplane noises, while Miranda squealed in delight. He did this for a few moments, and then brought her back to hold her close, kissing her cheek.

"Daddy's so proud of his little Angel," he said to her, tickling her tummy.

Miranda beamed at him, bouncing again, before reaching for Mac.

Mac took her, and chuckled when Miranda grabbed the bottom of her shirt and started pushing it up, burrowing her nose underneath it.

"Guess she's hungry," she told Harm, smiling ruefully.

Harm nodded, waiting just long enough for Mac to get Miranda settled nursing, before he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "How are you feeling today?"

"Great," Mac said. "I've been taking it easy, but it's so much nicer to be able to get up and move around more."

Mac had seen Dr. Martindale two weeks earlier, and had been cleared for limited, light activity. This meant that Mac was no longer confined strictly to the sofa, chair or bed, but that she still had to be extremely limited in what she could, and could not, do. Mac was just happy to be able to move around some.

Harm nodded sympathetically, and kissed her again, before carefully placing his palm against her abdomen, just under where Miranda was laying across it. "Lots of moving today?"

Mac moved his hand so that he could feel the baby kicking. "Oh, yeah."

Harm sat there with his hand on her abdomen for several minutes, just enjoying this time with his family.

Lily hated to interrupt, but dinner was just about ready. "Harm, you might want to go change out of your uniform; dinner is nearly finished cooking," she told him.

Harm pulled his attention away from his family, and looked over at her. "Thanks, Lily," he replied, before getting up off of the floor, picking his things up off the island, and moving off to go change.

Harm moved the coffee table so that they could set Mac's food on it, and she ate while she finished feeding Miranda. Harm and Lily sat on the floor with their plates at the small table as well. They talked companionably, and when they had all finished eating, Harm stood and helped Lily with the dishes.

Mac had placed Miranda back on her blanket nearby, and was watching as she rocked back and forth on her hands and knees, and then crawled a few paces, before stopping and repeating the process.

When Harm moved back to sitting beside Mac on the floor, Miranda squealed delightedly and crawled to him, so he scooped her up and kissed her.

Miranda leaned towards Mac, and placed her palm on her belly, laughing and patting the spot where the baby inside was moving.

"I don't know how she knows, but she always finds the exact spot where the baby is moving," Mac told Harm. "And then she pats the spot and laughs."

Harm raised his eyebrows at this, and placed his larger palm just below Miranda's, and smiled as he felt the kicks from inside.

The flash of a camera caused them all to look up, to find Lily standing there with a wide grin, and they both gave Lily an exasperated look.

"Sorry, but you have no idea how sweet that looks," she told them, before moving over and showing them the LCD screen on the back of the camera.

Mac and Harm looked at the thumbnail photo, and then at each other, smiling.

"That one's getting printed out for my desk at work," Harm said, as Lily smiled and walked away nodding.

"Do either of you need anything else? If not, I'm going to head to my room," Lily said.

"No, we're good," Harm replied, after seeing Mac's negative shake of the head. "Thank you. Sleep well."

"Thanks; you, too," she said, waving before she went out the kitchen door towards the apartment off of the garage.

Harm set the camera on the table, and tickled Miranda's tummy. "It's bath time for you, young lady," he said, handing her to Mac so that he could stand up. When he was on his feet, he leaned forward and took her from Mac, holding her close to him.

"Help me off of this floor, and I'll give you a hand," Mac said.

"Are you sure?" Harm asked.

Mac nodded. "Yeah. As long as I don't lift her, I can sit in a chair in the bathroom and at least watch, if not help."

"All right," Harm said, setting Miranda on the sofa beside him, and then helping Mac to her feet, before again lifting Miranda back into his arms.

They made their way up the stairs, taking it slow for Mac's sake, and then Harm moved a chair into the bathroom near the tub, so that she could participate in Miranda's bath.

Mac handed Harm bath toys, soap and shampoo as needed, while Harm played with and cleaned the baby girl. She then held the big, fluffy bath sheet open in her lap, and Harm deposited the now clean infant into it, so that Mac could wrap her up and pat her dry.

As soon as Harm had the bath items put away, he took Miranda, towel and all, and carried her to the nursery, Mac following along.

Mac sat in the rocking chair, watching while Harm attempted to put a diaper, and warm pajamas, on their squirming daughter, stifling her laughter.

When Miranda was finally dressed for bed, Harm handed her to Mac, who began rocking her gently and singing her father's lullaby.

Soon Miranda was soundly asleep, and Harm took her from Mac and placed her into the crib, gently kissing her, before covering her with the blanket.

"Sleep tight, princess," he said, as Mac checked the baby monitor, and then they stepped out of the room.

When they were done with their own short bed time routines, Harm held Mac close to him while they each told the other about their day.

"Your mom called today," Mac told Harm. "She, Frank, and your grandmother are planning to come for Christmas, so I don't have to travel."

Harm nodded. "Is that okay with you?"

"Of course," Mac said. "Bud and Harriet invited all of the JAG staff, all of our family, and AJ, to their house this year, as well. We could go there before the Christmas Eve service, since Mattie will be here Wednesday night… she doesn't want to go with Tom to his family's gathering. I figure that will give us all of Christmas Day with just the family, since Lily is going to go home for the Holidays."

Harm winced, knowing how Mattie felt about her father's family. "Sounds good to me," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

Mac smiled, nodding. Then she sighed. "Harm? When I have my ultrasound tomorrow, do you want to know what we're having?"

Harm paused, biting his lip. They'd been agonizing over this decision for two weeks. Part of him wanted to know, so they knew what to plan for, but another part was afraid that if they found out whether it was a boy or a girl, they would feel the loss more deeply if anything happened.

"What do _you _want, Sarah?" he asked softly.

Mac hesitated briefly, and then rubbed her flattened palm along his chest. "I don't want to know. I want it to be a surprise."

Harm nodded slowly. "Okay, then."

"Are you all right with that? If you want to know, Dr. Martindale could tell you, and then you two could just not tell me," Mac said.

Harm tilted her chin up with his index finger, looking into her eyes. "I don't want to know, until you do. If that means waiting until the day our child is born, then that is perfectly fine with me. Now get some sleep," he said, kissing her softly, before hugging her close again.

"Harm?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

**15:04 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Dr. Martindale entered the examination room, greeting both Mac and Harm, before taking a seat on the stool near the exam table.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Mac.

"Great," Mac said.

"No cramping or bleeding?"

"None."

"Good; that's what I want to hear. You're still limiting your activity?" the doctor asked.

"I move around a bit more, but I'm still taking it extremely easy, and I'm not lifting anything heavier than about five pounds," Mac assured her.

"Good. Are you doing the exercises Lily taught you?"

"Everyday, three times a day, like clockwork," Mac replied.

Dr. Martindale grinned. "Great. Why don't you lie back, and we'll have a look at you."

Mac did as instructed, and waited as Dr. Martindale measured her abdomen, listened to the baby's heartbeat, and did a quick pelvic exam.

"Everything is progressing just the way it should be," she assured them. "Your weight gain is right on target, you haven't dilated at all, and the baby's heart rate is good and strong. Let's get your ultrasound done, okay?"

Mac nodded, and smiled at Harm when he took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

They watched as the doctor rolled the ultrasound machine in and set it up. When it was ready, she turned to Mac, and pulled her exam gown up to just under her breasts, making sure the drape over her legs covered her from the bottom of her abdomen, before squirting the lubricating jelly onto her belly. Placing the transducer over the lubricating jelly, she moved it around slowly, until she found the baby.

"There you are," she said, as she moved the instrument around and looked at the fuzzy images on the screen. She began taking measurements, and clicking on still shots of the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. "Everything looks great; baby's developing normally. Would you like to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Mac looked at Harm to be sure of their decision, before she shook her head. "No; we want to be surprised."

Dr. Martindale smiled. "That's unusual, but I think it's a wonderful idea. Okay, then, I'll print you up some pictures, and then I'll let you get dressed."

As soon as she handed Mac and Harm the ultrasound photos, and pointed out the features to them, she told Mac to go ahead and get dressed, and then rolled the ultrasound machine out of the examination room.

When Mac was dressed again, she came back in to speak to them.

"I want you to continue on limited activity. Basically what you've been doing the last couple of weeks. If you have any problems at all, don't hesitate to call us, or go to the ER. Do you have any questions?"

"What are my chances of carrying this baby to at least thirty-four weeks?" Mac asked.

"If you continue to follow my instructions, and don't tax yourself, I'd say your chances are very good. The exercises Lily taught you are designed to strengthen your abdominal muscles or, as in your case, keep them strong, so that the uterus isn't carrying the brunt of the weight alone. I want you to buy a maternity support belt, and wear that as well; most maternity stores carry them, as well as the maternity sections in just about any department store. Anything else?"

"No, that about covers it," Mac said. "We'll see you in two weeks."

Dr. Martindale smiled at her. "The day before Christmas Eve. Take care of yourselves," she said, turning to leave.

Harm took Mac's hand as they left the doctor's office, and they made their way out to the Lexus. The weather had turned blustery and cold, and the clouds overhead were ominously dark and threatening.

"Think it will snow?" Mac asked, as she buckled her seatbelt.

Harm looked up at the sky again, before buckling his own seatbelt. "Probably."

They pulled out into the evening traffic, and talked quietly on the way home.

"Have you given any thought to names?" Mac asked. "I mean, if it's a boy, I assume you'll want to name him Harmon Rabb, the third."

Harm shook his head. "Actually, that's the last thing I'd want to do."

Mac looked at him curiously.

"Don't get me wrong; I'm proud to be named after my father. But kids are cruel animals, and with the name Harmon, you get teased miserably. Besides, I don't want to saddle my son with a title like 'the third'," he said, grinning at her.

Mac smiled. "Well then, what name would you like for a boy?"

"How about Matthew, after your uncle?" he asked.

Mac was touched. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," he replied. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure, actually," she answered softy. "What about girls names?"

"Hmm… while I love the name Sarah, after you and Grammy, I think that would be way too confusing," he smiled when Mac agreed. "I like the name Rose, since we met~ and married~ in the White House rose garden."

"How about Rose as a middle name?" Mac suggested.

"Okay," Harm conceded. "What did you have in mind for a first name?"

"I like Aurora, or Autumn, or Summer…" she trailed off and laughed. "Those sound like total Hippie names, don't they?"

Harm joined her laughter, nodding. "Just a bit."

"I also like Emmaline, Michaela, Elisabeth, and Patricia… after your mother," she said.

"All good choices," he agreed. "We have a few months yet to figure it out."

Mac smiled, but there was a sadness behind it. "Yeah," she said softly.

"Hey," Harm said, noticing the change in her mood, and taking her hand. "What is it?"

Mac shrugged. "I'm just terrified that something bad is going to happen."

Harm brought her hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly. "Good thoughts, Mac. Okay?"

Mac nodded, and then leaned her head back and closed her eyes, as Harm released her hand to hold the steering wheel with both hands.


	56. Chapter 56

A/N: Wahoo!! I actually had time to sit and write for awhile. A pipe under our house broke, and it can't be fixed for at least a few days, so the landlord is putting us up in a motel… so, I get some peaceful, quiet, free time! Yay! Enjoy…

**09:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Christmas Morning**

Mac sat on the floor in the family room, in front of the Christmas tree, holding Miranda in her lap. She frequently had to stop her from lunging forward, trying to grab the tree and place the pine needles in her mouth.

Harm grinned, handing a brightly wrapped present to Mac. "This one's for Miranda," he said, and chuckled as Miranda yanked the brightly colored bow from the package and immediately stuck it in her mouth.

"That's an interesting way of decorating your tree you've got there, son," Frank commented, winking at Mac.

Harm grunted. "Well, since Miranda is now mobile, she's developed a fascination with the Christmas tree. She'd pull the ornaments off, and if they didn't fit in her mouth to chew on, she'd throw them across the room. If the NFL allowed girls on their pro teams, she'd have a promising future as a quarterback. So we had to move all the ornaments up out of her reach. Hence, the reason the bottom foot of the tree is undecorated."

Everyone chuckled at that, as Mac took the bow from Miranda, causing her to squeal loudly in protest and arch her back, her face scrunched up.

Harm kneeled in front of them, and looked at her sternly. "Hey," he said, causing Miranda to look up at him with her wide, brown eyes. "None of that, young lady."

Miranda's eyes filled with tears, and her bottom lip quivered.

Harm's expression softened. "Oh, now, don't cry," he said.

Mac shook her head at him. "She's playing you, Harm," she told him.

Harm looked at her. "What? Mac, she's six months old!"

Mac nodded. "And she already has you wrapped around her little finger."

Harm raised an eyebrow, then pointed his finger at Miranda. "You be good," he told her.

Miranda smiled widely at him, and giggled.

Harm shook his head, sighing.

"Just face it, Harm, you're outnumbered," Grammy told him.

"By a baby?" he asked.

"And a teenager, and me," Mac reminded him.

Harm groaned good naturedly, placing his hand on Mac's belly. "Well, let's hope this one evens things up a little. Otherwise, I'm a doomed man." He stood up then, handing out gifts to everyone else, kissing Mattie's forehead when he handed hers to her.

Once everyone had a gift, they took turns opening them. They did this until all of the gifts had been opened, and then they cleaned up the mess, while Mac showed Miranda how her new toys worked.

Around 11:00, the doorbell rang, and Harm opened it to find AJ and Francesca on the other side. Smiling, he invited them in. "Glad you could make it," he said. "Everyone's in the family room."

"Mac," Francesca exclaimed, helping her new sister off of the floor, and kissing her cheek. "It is good to see you. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but good," Mac told her, smiling as she sat on the sofa, patting it to invite Francesca to sit near her. "How are you? Still traveling the world?"

Francesca sighed. "Yes, though I have enjoyed my visit here the last few weeks. It has been nice to… how do you say? Unwind… a little."

"I bet," Mac said, smiling when AJ, having gotten himself some coffee from the kitchen, came in and kissed her forehead, and then sat down in the nearest chair. He watched as Mattie played with Miranda, smiling at the sight of his two 'granddaughters' playing together.

Mac looked wistfully towards the kitchen. "I wish I could do something, other than sit on this sofa. I feel so useless."

"Your baby's health is the most important thing, Mac," AJ told her. "You are anything but useless, right now."

Mac smiled at him, nodding.

Shortly after noon, Trish and Grammy announced that 'dinner' was served, and the family sat down to a large, delicious meal.

Mac fed Miranda a spoonful of mashed potatoes and gravy, and laughed at the delighted expression she got, as she reached for more. Grabbing her hand before she could deposit it into the hot food, she shook her head. "This little girl moves awfully quick."

"That means she'll be a good pilot," Mattie said, smiling.

Mac groaned. "Not you, too," she said. "I thought one of our girls' becoming a pilot was enough? Now both of you have to be pilots?"

Mattie grinned at her. "All three of us will be pilots, Mac," she said, patting her extended abdomen.

Mac took a deep breath and sighed in defeat. "All right, I give up."

"Are you surrendering Marine?" Harm asked with a smirk.

Mac narrowed her eyes. "Marines never surrender. Retreat maybe, but never surrender."

Miranda made a very loud noise, causing everyone to look at her. She was trying to climb out of her high chair, to reach the bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy Mac had moved away from her.

"I guess that means she wants me to feed her," Mac said, putting some more onto the spoon, and blowing on it to cool it down. When she was satisfied that it was cool enough, she fed it to Miranda, laughing when Miranda got excited again, bouncing in her high chair and making happy noises.

They finished their meal, and while the men cleaned the kitchen, the women sat in the living room in front of the fireplace, listening to Christmas music playing softly on the stereo.

The family spent the day just relaxing and enjoying one another's company, eating leftovers from their wonderful dinner when they felt the desire. They all took turns playing with Miranda when she was awake, and at the end of the day, after several wonderful desserts, AJ and Francesca headed home, while Frank, Trish and Grammy Sarah went back to their hotel, leaving Harm and Mac alone with their two girls at last.

Mattie said goodnight, and had headed off to bed, and Miranda was already in bed for the night, as Harm and Mac prepared to climb into bed themselves.

An hour later, Harm finally settled down, wrapping his arms around his wife, when the ringing of the telephone caused him to frown. "Rabb," he said into the receiver. He spoke to the person on the other line, and his eyes widened as he looked at Mac. When he finally hung up the phone, his hands were shaking slightly, and he moved to get out of bed.

"Harm?" Mac asked, concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Harm looked at Mac, unshed tears in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he took her hand in his, needing her strength. "Tom Johnson is dead."

**22:41 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac's hand flew to her mouth, and tears filled her eyes. "How?" she asked, once she'd pulled herself together.

"The State Trooper said that he was killed by a drunk driver," Harm said, shaking his head. "One of his own relatives was driving home from their family gathering, after having had way too much to drink, and rear-ended Tom's truck with his own. The trucks hit a patch of ice, sliding down an embankment, and Tom's truck struck a tree head-on. Tom wasn't wearing his seatbelt, and died shortly after the paramedics arrived," he told her. Sitting heavily on the bed, he sighed. "How am I supposed to tell Mattie?"

Mac put her hand on his arm. "Did Tom have any alcohol in his system?"

Harm shook his head. "The Trooper said that an autopsy has to be done, but it didn't appear that Tom had been drinking, from what they could tell."

Mac shook her head. "Ironic, isn't it?" she asked softly. "That he should sober up, only to be killed by someone else that was driving drunk."

"A member of his own family, too," Harm said, his voice tinged with anger. "A cousin, the Trooper said."

"Thank God Mattie was with us," Mac said, sitting up and holding him close. "She could have been killed, too."

Harm shivered involuntarily at the thought. "Mac…" he began.

"Harm, I love her just as much as you do. We'll take care of her, and we'll all get through this," she told him.

Harm wrapped his arms around her, and then kissed her tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Should we tell her now, or wait until morning?" Mac asked.

Harm sighed. "I want to say wait, but if she found out we knew, and didn't tell her right away, she'll be even more upset."

Mac agreed, and climbed out of bed, wrapping her robe around her, while Harm did the same. Placing her arm around his waist, they walked down the hall to the guest room, and stopped momentarily at the door, silently praying for strength for what was to come.

Harm tapped lightly on the door, and when he didn't get a response, he carefully opened it, allowing light from the hallway to filter into the dark interior.

Mac went in, sitting on one side of the bed, while Harm sat on the other. "Mattie?" Mac called softly, gently shaking the teenager awake.

Mattie woke up, and when she saw both Harm and Mac sitting on her bed, she was instantly alert, and she switched on the light on the night table. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

Mac placed a gentle hand on her arm. "No, it isn't the baby."

Mattie frowned. She could tell by their faces that something was definitely wrong. "What is it?" she asked, suddenly uncertain.

Harm took her hand. "Mattie, I just got a call from a Virginia State Trooper," he said. "Your dad's been in an accident."

Mattie squeezed his hand tighter, and looked at Mac, when she felt Mac take her other hand. "Is he all right?" she asked, but the look on Harm's and Mac's faces told her the news was bad.

"Mattie, he… he didn't make it, sweetheart," Harm said.

Mattie shook her head, wanting desperately to deny his words. "No… he has to be okay… I mean, there's been a mistake," she said.

"I'm afraid not," Mac said gently.

Mattie suddenly tensed. "Was he drunk? Is that what you're not telling me?"

"No," Harm told her, his tone gentle, but firm. "The Trooper said that it didn't appear that he'd been drinking, but they'll know for sure after the autopsy."

"Then what happened?" Mattie asked, suddenly shaky, and feeling very small.

Harm took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily. "It appears that a man named William Johnson… your dad's cousin… was driving drunk, and rear-ended your dad's truck. They hit a patch of ice, and slid off the road down an embankment, where your dad's truck hit a tree. Mattie, Tom wasn't wearing his seatbelt. He died a short time after the medics got to him."

Mattie closed her eyes tightly, as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Harm pulled her into his arms, and Mac wrapped her arms around both of them, as the family sat together and cried softly for several minutes.

When Mattie finally pulled away, she took a shaky breath. "You'd better get back to bed and get some sleep," she told them. "I don't suppose that anyone will be calling about my dad until tomorrow."

"We have room in our bed, if you want to come sleep with us," Mac offered.

"I'm a little old to be sleeping with my parents," Mattie said, and then bit her bottom lip. "I mean~ well, you're not obligated to take care of me or anything… it's not like you're really my parents…"

Mac placed a finger on her lips to stop her. "Mattie, you have a home with us for as long as you need us. We love you, and we want you, and we will do whatever we have to do to keep you with us, if that's what you want, too."

Despite the situation, Harm wanted to burst with joy at Mac's words. Giving Mattie's hand a squeeze, he nodded. "We mean it, Mat," he said.

Mattie threw her arms around Harm, and started sobbing.

Harm, bewilderedly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to him. He smoothed her hair with his palm, whispering soothing words to her, while she cried. When she finally calmed down enough to pull away and wipe at her eyes, she turned and hugged Mac.

"I love you both," she said. "Thank you."

Mac kissed Mattie's forehead. "We're going to head back to bed now. The offer still stands for you to sleep with us, if you want to."

Mattie nodded. "I think I'll give it a go in here, first."

"Try to rest, sweetheart," Mac said, waiting until Harm had stood, and tucking the covers up under Mattie's chin. "Come get us if you need us."

"I will," Mattie promised, as Harm leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and then flipped off the light before following Mac into the hallway.

Mac woke up when she felt the bed move slightly, her internal clock telling her it was 02:13, and she scooted closer to Harm so that Mattie had more room. As soon as the girl was settled, she wrapped her arms around her.

"Better?" she whispered.

Mattie nodded, as she felt Harm's arms wrap around both Mac, and her. "Yeah," she whispered back.

"Good," Harm whispered, as well. "Now everyone go to sleep."

Mac and Mattie both grinned for a moment, before settling in to sleep.

Mattie knew the next few days were going to be rough, but she also knew that she had Harm and Mac, Granma Trish, Grampa Frank, Grammy Sarah, and Grampa AJ to help her, so she would be okay. Sighing, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.


	57. Chapter 57

A/N: First off, THANK YOU!!! for all of the awesome feedback! Not only does it keep me motivated, it really is helping me to get through this tough time. I got fired from my job (looong story), and we finally got a date for my husband's bilateral nephrectomy (they're taking out both kidneys): September 2nd. So, keep us in your thoughts and prayers, please! As usual, all mistakes are my own. I know in the show, Mattie lived in Blacksburg, but for the sake of this tale, they lived in Leesburg. Call it author's privilege. ;-) Enjoy…

**13:22 EST**

**Coroner's Office**

**Leesburg, VA**

Harm stood with Mattie, as they talked to the coroner. Mac had wanted to come along, but Lily had convinced her that she needed to stay home, so as not to risk losing the baby.

"Sir, I need someone to positively identify the body," the coroner told Harm. "Since Miss Johnson is a minor, it would be better if you, or another family member, could do it for her." He looked at Mattie. "If you would like to do it, I'll need Captain Rabb's consent, since he is your legal guardian."

Mattie looked at Harm. "Would you do it? Please? I don't think I could stand seeing him like this."

Harm hugged her gently with one arm. "Of course I will," he said, and then looked at the coroner. "I'm ready."

The coroner led him into the autopsy room, and Harm paused momentarily at the sheet-covered body. Squaring his shoulders, and strengthening his resolve, he nodded to the coroner.

The coroner lifted the front of the sheet so that Harm could see Tom Johnson's body, and even though he'd seen some pretty gruesome things in his career, Harm was disturbed by the sight that greeted him. Closing his eyes, he nodded to the coroner, who immediately re-covered Tom's body.

"Yeah," Harm murmured, "that's him." He opened his eyes again and looked at the coroner. "Obviously he died from massive trauma," Harm said.

"Yes," the other man acknowledged. "Would you like the full details?" he asked hesitantly.

Harm shook his head. "No; no reason. How long do you think he suffered?"

"Actually, with that skull fracture, he was brain dead before his body gave way, so he probably wasn't aware of anything other than the initial shock of the collision."

"Thank God for that, anyway," Harm said softly, as they made their way back to where Mattie was waiting for them.

"It's really him?" Mattie asked, though she already knew the answer; she just needed to hear it from someone who knew them both.

"Yeah, sweetheart, I'm afraid it is," Harm said, pulling her to him in a tight hug.

Mattie held her tears in, nodding. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away. "Now what?"

"We need to have him transferred to a mortuary, and then we'll make the funeral arrangements. I suppose you'd like him buried next to your mother?" Harm asked.

Mattie nodded. "If possible."

"Do you know where your mother is buried?" the coroner asked.

"Union Cemetery," Mattie replied. "Her funeral was handled by Colonial Funeral Home."

"I'm familiar with the place," he said. "I'll get the contact information for you."

Harm thanked him, and the coroner left them alone. He placed an arm around Mattie, and they sat down to wait.

After a few minutes, the coroner returned with the information they'd need. They thanked him for everything, and then left the building.

"I was thinking we could go to your house," Harm said, as they pulled out of the parking lot of the morgue. "You can gather the belongings you'll need, and I can call the mortuary.""Okay," Mattie said. She was quiet for several minutes, and then she finally spoke up. "Harm? Do you think that you and Mac will be able to get permanent custody of me?" she asked.

"I don't see why not," Harm said. "I'm still your legal guardian; your dad asked me not to relinquish guardianship until he felt he was completely ready. Even if one of your dad's relatives contests custody, Mac and I have a better chance of getting it than they do." He glanced at her. "Is there anyone in your mother's family that might want custody?"

Mattie shook her head. "No; Mom's parents died before she married Dad, and she was an only child."

Harm nodded. "Don't worry about it, Mats," he said. "Mac and I won't let them take you away from us. We're lawyers, remember?" he asked, giving her a wink.

Mattie smiled in relief, as they pulled into the driveway of her house. "Harm? What's going to happen to my mom's house now? I still don't want to lose it."

"You said there's a note on the house?" he asked, after they'd climbed out of the Lexus.

"Yeah," Mattie replied.

"Do you know how much?" he asked.

Mattie shrugged. "I don't remember the exact amount, but I have the paperwork in the den; I can show it to you."

"Let's get started; we have a lot to do," he said.

**14:36 EST**

**Johnson Home**

**Leesburg, VA**

Mattie went to her room, while Harm went into the den to make the call to the mortuary.

After half an hour, Mattie joined him in the den, opened a file drawer in the desk, and handed a paper to Harm. "Here's the bank note for the house," she told him. "I don't know what Dad did with the information on the business, but I suppose that it's at the office at the hangar.""The business is paid for," Harm said, looking over the paper.

"What?" Mattie asked. "How is that possible?"

Harm looked up at her. "I paid off the bank loans, and gave your dad a sizeable loan… as a silent partner. He agreed to pay me back, with interest, once he got it off the ground."

"What were you going to do if it failed?" she asked, unsure.

Harm shrugged. "Nothing. That's part of the risk you take when you invest in a business."

Mattie looked at him, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly around the neck. "You're the greatest!"

Harm looked surprised, but hugged her back.

When Mattie moved away, taking the seat across from him, she watched him read the papers from the bank.

"It's not so bad," Harm said. "I'll pay the loan off, and we can rent the house out until you're old enough to take over. In fact, I'll let you decide who rents it, and handle the business end, if you'd like. I'll just check on it every now and then, to keep it all legal."

Mattie smiled. "I'd like that. What about the business?"

"We'll have to find someone to manage it, until you're old enough to take over," he said. "You need to concentrate on school right now."

"I could do home schooling, or correspondence, and run the business the rest of the time," she said.

Harm looked at her, shaking his head. "Not an option. You need to be in public school, and enjoy being a teenager. You can be an adult in another few years. The house won't take up nearly the time a business would."

Mattie gave him a pout, but nodded her understanding.

"We need to head over to the mortuary, to pick out a casket, and handle some other business, and then we'll head home," Harm told her.

"Okay," Mattie said. "I'll go put my things in the car."

Harm nodded, as he gathered together all of the paperwork he'd need to take with him. Once they had everything, they locked up and left the house.

**10:17 EST**

**Colonial Funeral Home**

**Leesburg, VA**

**Ten Days Later**

Mattie sat in a pew in the chapel with Harm, Mac and AJ on one side of her, and Grammy Sarah, Trish, and Frank on the other side. She studiously ignored the stares that some of the Johnson family kept sending her way, and the whispered words of derision towards her new family, as she held a soundly sleeping Miranda in her arms.

Harm and Mac had filed for emergency physical custody the Monday following Christmas, and the judge had agreed to it. They'd also filed a petition for permanent custody the same day, but had been told that it might take longer, pending any contest from members of her biological family.

Grammy, and Trish had taken her shopping the day before, so that they could all buy new outfits for the funeral today. Mac had gone with Lily to a maternity store to buy something appropriate, as well. Harm and AJ wore their dress blues, while Frank wore a dark Armani suit he'd brought with him for his business meetings.

Mattie had to repeatedly bite her tongue, as members of Tom's family went up to the podium and talked.

At one point, she grabbed Harm's hand, and gave it a tight squeeze, and was comforted when he looked at her, and then put his arm around her and pulled her to him in a gentle hug, kissing the top of her head.

Mac had seen the gesture, and she reached across Harm to take Mattie's hand and give her a reassuring squeeze.

The service ended, and then everyone filed out to their cars, to drive to the graveside for the burial service.

The chairs outside had been set up under awnings, surrounding the grave on three sides, and Mattie, and her new family, sat in the front row at the head of the grave.

The pall bearers, of whom Harm was one, carried the casket to the grave, and gently let it down onto the rails that would lower the casket into the ground, and then Harm took his seat beside Mattie.

The graveside service was mercifully short, as the weather was bitterly cold, and then Mattie stood and laid a rose on the top of the casket. "Goodbye, Dad," she said. "I love you."

Harm, Mac, and the rest of the family followed her away from the grave to the waiting vehicles. Frank, Trish, and Grammy Sarah, had all come in Harm's Lexus, AJ had driven his Escalade, while Mattie, Harm, Mac, and Miranda had come in a rented limousine.

Harm allowed the ladies entrance into the car before he climbed in behind them, and then they headed towards the hall where Mattie had asked that the wake be held.

**12:04 EST**

**Holiday Inn at Carradoc Hall Hotel**

**Leesburg, VA**

Mattie handed Miranda to Trish, as they entered the banquet room they'd rented for Tom's wake. Mattie had told Harm and Mac that she didn't want it held at the house, because she was afraid some of her relatives would steal things from the house.

Mattie made sure Mac was comfortable in the chair at the table, propping her feet up with another chair, and then offered to go and get her something from the buffet table that had been set up.

After running down the list of choices available, she had Mac's order and went to the buffet table to get her a plate of food. Several members of Tom's family were already lined up, and many of them glanced at her with barely concealed contempt.

"Where's the bar?" one of her dad's cousins asked, rather loudly.

"There isn't one," Mattie said.

"What? Why not?" she asked.

"Um, maybe because one of his cousins driving drunk is the reason my dad is dead in the first place?" Mattie asked angrily. "If you need a drink so badly, feel free to leave and go find one!"

"Is there a problem here?" Harm asked, as he and AJ stepped up to where Mattie was.

"Linda here was asking where the bar was," Mattie told him, glaring coldly at the woman. "I was just informing her that there wasn't one."

Harm raised an eyebrow at her, and then nodded. "Mac said you offered to get her something to eat?"

"Yeah, she shouldn't be up moving around, so I thought it'd be better if someone else got her food for her," Mattie said. "I don't want her to risk losing the baby."

"Thank you, Mattie," Harm said. "That was very thoughtful of you."

Mattie shrugged as Trish, Grammy and Frank joined them.

Miranda saw Mattie, and she laughed and cooed excitedly, reaching for her.

"Hey there, squirt," Mattie said, tickling Miranda's tummy. "I can't hold you until after I get your Mommy some food."

Miranda reached for Mattie again, blowing spit-bubbles, and bouncing in Trish's arms, so Harm took her from his mother and kissed her dark auburn curls, turning her so she was facing him. He lifted her up in the air, making airplane noises, while Miranda laughed delightedly and mimicked him.

Mattie dished up a plate for Mac, taking it to her, before heading back to the buffet line to take Miranda from Harm.

"I can handle her," Harm said. "You need to eat something."

"I'm not really hungry right now," Mattie said. "Taking care of Mandy gives me something to do, to keep my mind off of… things."

Harm nodded in understanding, as he kissed Mattie's forehead, and then Miranda's. "Let me know if you want me to take her; we don't expect you to take care of her for us."

"I know," Mattie said. "Come on, Mandy, let's go see what Mommy's eating; maybe she'll share with you," she said to Miranda, as she carried her over to the table where Mac was sitting.

"How are you doing Mattie?" Mac asked, as Mattie sat in a chair beside her, and stood Miranda on her lap.

"Okay," Mattie said. "My dad's family keeps looking at me like they're disgusted with me, and most of them are ticked that there isn't a bar, but other than that, I'm fine."

"I know it's next to impossible to do, but try not to let them bother you. That's exactly what they want," Mac told her.

Miranda grabbed Mattie's nose, and then laughed, scrunching up her own nose and making a silly face, her chocolate brown eyes twinkling. She bounced up and down, and then blew bubbles again, before babbling incoherently at Mattie.

"Mandy, you are one cute kid," Mattie said, lifting her dress and blowing a raspberry on her belly, causing her to squeal in delight.

Harm and the rest of the family joined them, and Harm winced when Mattie made Miranda squeal.

"That's something we're going to have to break her of," Harm said, as he sat down beside Mac.

Mac nodded in agreement. "It is a bit… ear piercing."

After two hours had passed, AJ took Mac, Miranda, and Grammy Sarah home, as everyone was still concerned about Mac and the pregnancy, and Miranda was beginning to get fussy.

Frank had sent the limo driver away, giving the man a sizeable tip, shortly after their arrival, as Harm and Mattie planned to ride home with them in the Lexus.

After about three and a half hours, most of the mourners had left, so Harm went to give the caterers the okay to start cleaning up.

Harm, Mattie, Frank and Trish stayed until the last guest had left, and all of the left over food was wrapped and loaded into the back of the Lexus for them to take home.

As soon as they were on the highway headed towards home, Mattie put her head back and sighed in relief.

"I'm so glad that's over," she said.

Harm looked at her in the rearview mirror. "Did anyone else give you any trouble?"

"Not too many of them. Most of the family just said that they were sorry about my dad, and then left me alone. My Aunt Kristin and my Uncle Mark were the worst of the group; oh, and cousin Linda. I still can't believe she asked why there wasn't a bar."

"I got the feeling that many of your father's relatives were disappointed that there was a strict no alcohol policy," Trish said.

Mattie shrugged. "I guess that happens when so many of them are alcoholics."

Trish took her hand. "You did very well today; I'm very proud of you. How are you holding up?"

Mattie's eyes filled with tears. "Better than I would be, if I didn't have all of you. Thank you all, so much, for everything. I really feel like a part of the family."

"That's because you are, dear," Trish said, hugging her closer with one arm.


	58. Chapter 58

A/N: Okay, so we're skipping ahead a bit. This has already turned into a novel, and since I don't want to lose any of you, I figure we need to pick it up a bit. Let me know which way you like better. As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful feedback, and words of encouragement! It is greatly appreciated! Enjoy…

**15:30 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Four Months Later**

Mac winced at Miranda, who was standing up beside the coffee table, hitting a toy block solidly against the wooden surface, and making lots of noise.

Miranda stopped what she was doing, and looked at Mac with a big grin, her four front teeth showing, and her brown eyes sparkling happily, before she started banging on the table again, and babbling loudly.

Mattie came into the family room, and looked at Mac. "How long has she been doing that?" she asked.

"Twenty-one minutes, seventeen seconds," Mac replied.

Miranda stopped when she heard Mattie's voice, and she turned around as far as her grip on the coffee table would allow, smiling broadly at her older sister.

"And your head hasn't split open yet?" Mattie asked incredulously, as she scooped Miranda up, and kissed her on the cheek. "Are you making Mommy crazy? Huh?"

Miranda laughed happily, as Mattie held her above her head, and made airplane noises.

When she finally brought her down, holding her close again, she rubbed their noses together. "Can you say Mama?" she asked, pointing at Mac.

Miranda giggled, then began babbling again.

"How was school?" Mac asked Mattie as she moved into the kitchen, still holding Miranda.

"Fine. I got an 'A' on my math test, got detention for slugging Gina James, and successfully dissected a frog in biology," she said, opening a teething biscuit for Miranda, and getting a diet soda for herself.

"Wait~ why did you slug Gina James?" Mac asked with a frown.

"Did I mention I got an 'A' on my math test?" Mattie asked, setting Miranda on the blanket on the floor near the fireplace.

"Don't change the subject, Mathilda," Mac said, giving her a look that brooked no arguments. "Gina James?"

Mattie winced when Mac used her given name. "She was spouting her usual anti-military garbage, which I usually just ignore, but then she said something about how my dad is a loser for being in the Navy, and I slugged her," Mattie said.

Harm and Mac had petitioned the court to adopt Mattie a few weeks after her father's funeral, since none of her relatives had stepped forward to contest their obtaining custody within the allotted time frame. The adoption had been finalized a mere month previous, and Mattie proudly wore the name of Mathilda Grace Rabb.

"Mattie," Mac said, drawing out her name. "You can't go around slugging people just because they say something that you don't like."

"I know; it was a knee-jerk reaction," Mattie said. "I apologized, and I did my time in detention. I promise to try to keep a tighter rein on my fist next time."

"See that you do," Mac said, shaking her head.

"Do we have to tell Dad?" Mattie asked.

"Yes," Mac replied. "You can tell him after dinner."

"Me? I've gotta tell him?" Mattie asked.

Mac gave her a look that plainly said not to argue with her, and Mattie sighed.

"All right," she muttered. "Guess I should get started on my homework then," she said, standing and moving towards the stairs, bending over to pick up her backpack from the foot of them.

"Mats?" Mac called.

Mattie paused and looked across the room at Mac. "Yeah?""Great job on the 'A', and on dissecting the frog," Mac said, giving her a smile.

Mattie smiled back. "Thanks," she replied, heading up the steps.

**18:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm came and took Miranda from Mac, placing her in her high chair, while Lily and Mattie set the table for dinner. Mac stood slowly, and stretched the kinks from her back, before moving to sit at the table.

As soon as Miranda was secured, Harm moved to the kitchen to help bring dinner to the table, and soon they were sitting down to their evening meal.

Mac picked at her dinner, not feeling much like eating. She had felt 'off' all day, and just attributed it to being tired when anyone asked her.

Miranda blew bubbles in her sippy cup, and Harm took it away from her, causing her to squeal in protest.

"No!" Harm said sternly to her, and the squalling ceased immediately. "You can have your drink, if you don't play with it."

Miranda looked at him with wide, watery brown eyes.

"I mean it, Miss," he said, as he handed the cup back to her.

Miranda took the cup back from him, and took a long drink from it. She watched him for a moment, still holding the cup to her mouth.

Harm gave her a stern look, and Miranda set the cup back onto the tray of the high chair, before picking up a steamed carrot and stuffing it into her mouth.

"I can hardly believe she's going to be a year old next month," Mac said, watching Miranda scatter her food all over her tray, and then pick something up and stuff it into her mouth.

With the new baby due within the next few weeks, Mac had weaned Miranda straight to a cup, over a month earlier, and so far, it was working out well~ for the most part.

Harm caught a carrot as it flew towards Mattie, and then glared at Miranda, who just grinned at him.

Mac stifled a grin. "Good save," she said softly.

Harm gave her an amused look, shaking his head ruefully. "Okay, you're done," he said, as a green bean hit Lily in the forehead. Standing, he lifted Miranda out of the high chair. "It's bath, and then bed, for you."

Miranda smiled and waved at everyone, as Harm carried her upstairs.

"I think I'll go up and supervise," Mac said, standing. She rubbed her lower back again, and frowned.

"Mac? Are you all right?" Lily asked, seeing the expression on Mac's face.

"Yeah; my back is a little achy, that's all," she said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Good night."

"Good night," Lily said, still eyeing her carefully.

Mattie kissed Mac on the cheek. "Tell Dad I'll take care of the dishes."

Mac smiled at her. "Thanks, Mats," she said, moving slowly towards the stairs, and even more slowly up them.

"Something's up," Mattie said to Lily.

Lily nodded, looking at Mattie. "I have a feeling your new sibling will be here within the next day or two."

**01:26 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac sat bolt upright, gasping for breath, and clutching the blanket tightly. When the pain subsided, she took a deep breath, and sighed. She debated on waking Harm, and decided she'd wait a bit to see if it was false labor again, or the real thing.

Climbing out of bed, she went to the mini-fridge Harm had put in their room for her, and pulled out a bottle of water. She took her time, drinking the whole bottle, before tossing it into the wastebasket beside the fridge, and deciding to use the restroom before lying down again.

She made it two steps into the bathroom, when a warm rush of fluid running down her legs, and an intense pain in her abdomen, caused her to stop.

"Harm!" she yelled. "Harm!"

Harm flipped on the bathroom light, causing them both to wince as they adjusted to the bright light. "Mac? What's wrong?"

Mac indicated the puddle forming at her feet. "My water just broke," she said, through clenched teeth.

"Contraction?" Harm asked, eyes wide.

Mac just nodded, as Harm helped her back towards the bed. When it ended, she took another deep breath, and sighed.

"How far apart are they?" he asked, as he began pulling his clothes on.

"Eighteen minutes, fourteen seconds," she told him.

Harm nodded, as he handed her terrycloth bathrobe to her, and then went down the hall to wake Mattie.

"Mats?" he said, lightly shaking the teenager.

Mattie opened her eyes, blinking a few times. "What is it?"

"Mom's in labor; we're heading to the hospital," he said.

Mattie sat up, wide awake now. "Is she okay?"

Harm stood. "Yeah, we just need to get moving. Could you go and wake Lily for me?"

"Of course," Mattie said, climbing out of bed, and pulling on her robe. She put on her slippers, and followed Harm down the hallway, stopping to hug Mac, who was just coming out of the bedroom. "Good luck."

Mac smiled at her, and waited just until Harm joined her, before starting down the stairs. She waited in the kitchen, while Harm prepared the SUV, and Lily and Mattie came back into the house.

Harm reentered the house, just as another contraction hit. He held her hand, and coached her to breathe through it, just like they'd learned in childbirth classes. As soon as it was over, he glanced at his watch.

"Seventeen minutes, thirty-six seconds," Mac said. "It lasted sixty-seven seconds."

Harm nodded. "Let's go," he said, helping her out to the Lexus. "I prepared the backseat for you."

"Harm… leather seats… broken water?" Mac said.

"I bought some stuff just for this, a couple of weeks ago," he told her. "Don't worry about it."

And sure enough, as he helped her into the backseat, Mac noticed that it was covered with a clear plastic tarp. A blanket, and a sheet were on top of the tarp, with several pillows, all of which had protective plastic coverings beneath the pillow cases, there as well. Harm took another blanket, which was thick, and warm, and covered her with it, tucking it under her feet.

"Okay?" he asked.

Mac nodded, smiling at him just before he closed the door.

**02:48 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm pulled up to the emergency entrance, and hopped out of the Lexus, and an attendant met him halfway to the door.

"Sir, you can't park your vehicle here, we have valet parking available, if you'd like," the man said to him.

"I need a wheelchair; my wife is in labor," Harm said.

"Yes sir," the man said, jogging back inside, and returning a few moments later with a wheelchair.

Harm was just helping Mac out of the Lexus, when the man arrived. He helped Mac into the wheelchair, grabbed the bag he needed from the back, and followed the man, who was already pushing Mac towards the emergency entrance.

Once inside, he informed the man that the keys were inside, and accepted the claim ticket he'd need to retrieve the car later. Then he pushed Mac up to the check in desk.

The woman looked at Mac, and smiled sympathetically, as Mac started breathing through another contraction.

Harm focused on Mac, and when the contraction had passed, he looked at the woman behind the desk. "Guess you know why we're here."

She chuckled. "Yeah… I need your insurance cards, and a photo ID please."

"We're pre-registered," Harm said. "Rabb. R-A-B-B."

She typed the info into her computer, and then nodded. "That always saves so much time and aggravation," she said, as she picked up the phone. "L&D? Mrs. Rabb is here; she's on her way up right now." She hung up the phone, and then dialed another number. "I need transport to Labor and Delivery, right now," she said.

Within seconds, a young man appeared, smiling at Harm and Mac.

"This is Mrs. Rabb," the woman behind the desk said. "She needs to go upstairs immediately."

He nodded to the woman, and then took the wheelchair. "If you'll follow me, sir, we'll get your wife settled upstairs right away."

In less than ten minutes, they were in a room, with a nurse handing Mac a hospital gown. "Everything off, and put this on," she said. "How far apart are her contractions?" she asked Harm.

"Fifteen minutes," Harm said. "They're lasting a little over a minute, and they are getting closer together. They started out eighteen minutes apart."

The nurse nodded. "I'll have the on-call OB come in and check you; no use waking Dr. Martindale, if we've got a ways to go," she said, smiling at Mac. "Do you need anything dear?"

"An epidural would be nice," Mac said, as another contraction started.

Harm coached Mac through the breathing, and then helped her to get settled in the bed. "Still right around fifteen minutes apart," he told the nurse.

"Got it," she said. "I'll see if I can't get the anesthesiologist in here."

"Thank you," Mac said, closing her eyes.

Harm sat beside her, taking her hand. "You okay?"

Mac smiled at him, opening her eyes. "Yeah; you?"

Harm returned her smile, and kissed her tenderly. "You don't worry about me. Just concentrate on delivering this little miracle, okay?"

"Are you ready for this?" Mac asked him.

Harm grinned at her, and kissed her again. "Absolutely."


	59. Chapter 59

A/N: Whew! Got this one done! THANK YOU!!! as always, for the awesome feedback! I've got relatives heading in starting tomorrow for my hubby's surgery next Wednesday, so I don't know for sure when I'll get to update, but I PROMISE, it will be as soon as I can. Thanks for all your prayers! Enjoy...

**11:21 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm switched the heated pack for a cold one, pressing it against Mac's back as she laid curled up on her side. He wiped her forehead with the damp cloth, and kissed it tenderly.

"How you holding up?" he asked, watching the fetal heart monitor.

"I've been better," Mac said, as yet another contraction hit. They were now at about three minutes apart, and were stronger, and longer, than ever.

Harm held her hand, breathing with her, and praying she didn't break the bones in his fingers, until the end of the contraction.

A nurse came in during the contraction, smiling at how well the couple was doing. As soon as it ended, she looked at Mac. "Let's see how we're doing," she said, pulling on a pair of gloves.

Mac frowned, as she rolled onto her back, looking at Harm. "Whose this 'we' business? I don't see _her_ lying here feeling like she's being turned inside out," she muttered.

Harm stifled a grin, sure he'd get slapped for it, and kissed her forehead. "You're doing great, Mac."

"Are you sure they can't give me another epidural?" Mac asked plaintively.

"I'm afraid not, dear," the nurse replied. "The last one caused the baby's heart to drop dangerously low; we don't want to risk it unless it becomes absolutely necessary." She removed the gloves, and patted Mac's knee. "You're dilated to eight centimeters; it won't be long now."

"That's what they said three hours ago, when I was dilated to six," Mac groused. Another contraction came and went, and then Mac collapsed, breathing heavily.

A knock on the door caused Harm to look up, and he smiled to see his parents, and his grandmother, standing there.

"Mac, darling, how are you?" Trish asked, moving to the bed, and taking Mac's hand.

"It's been a long, rough road, Trish," she said.

"But Mac is doing a great job," Harm told them.

Mac glared at him. "Say that again, and I'll deck you."

"Can we get either of you anything?" Frank asked, changing the subject.

"An epidural?" Mac asked hopefully.

Frank looked confused.

"The doctor won't give her another one, because the last one caused the baby's heart rate to drop too much," Harm explained.

Frank gave her a sympathetic look. "I wish I could help."

Mac sighed, just before another contraction started.

Harm held her hand, coaching her through the breathing until it ended.

Dr. Martindale entered just as the contraction was ending, and she looked at the various printouts. "Okay, Mac, are you ready to have this baby?" she asked.

"I was ready twelve hours ago," Mac quipped.

Dr. Martindale grinned, as a nurse came in and told Harm to follow her to suit up, and another pair of nurses came in to prepare Mac's bed for the delivery.

"Unless you're staying for the birth, everyone needs to clear out," one of the nurses said.

Mac looked at them. "Stay, please?"

They all agreed, and moved over to the area behind the bed.

Harm returned dressed in scrubs, and moved to Mac. He grabbed the video camera, and looked at his family. "You staying?" he asked.

"Mac asked us to," Trish said.

Harm grinned and nodded, handing the camera to Frank. "Just record from this end. Mac said if I actually filmed the birth, she'd kill me."

Frank chuckled, and accepted the camera. "Got it."

AJ appeared in the doorway just then. "Did I miss anything?"

Mac reached for his hand. "Not yet."

AJ took her hand, and smiled at her, kissing her forehead. He looked at the flurry of activity going on at the foot of the bed, and then looked at Harm.

"Looks like I'm just in time," he said.

Harm smiled and nodded, as AJ joined everyone else behind the bed.

**12:42 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

A nurse placed Mac's feet in the stirrups, as another contraction peaked, and Mac held the railing so tight, she thought it might crack.

"I need to push!" she said.

"Not yet," Dr. Martindale said. "Breathe through the contractions, but don't push yet."

Finally, Dr. Martindale stepped up to the foot of the bed. "Okay Mac, I'm going to count back from ten, and I want you to push as hard as you can. Okay?"

Mac nodded, as Harm moved to help her.

"Okay… ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one… great Mac! Stop!" Dr. Martindale said.

Harm held her as she collapsed, and wiped her forehead with the damp cloth. "You're doing great, Mac," he said.

Mac smacked him in the arm; hard.

Another contraction began, and Dr. Martindale began the countdown again.

"Unnngggh!" Mac groaned, as they reached one and she fell heavily against Harm again. She was never, ever doing this again, she vowed silently.

"Okay, Mac, don't push through this next one, just hang tight," the doctor said.

Mac looked at her, appalled. "What?"

"It's okay," she replied.

"Easy for you to~" she broke off, as another contraction hit, and she focused on breathing. She was exhausted, and she needed for this to be over.

"Okay, Mac, here we go again. Push!" Dr. Martindale said as another contraction started. She counted down from ten again, and suctioned out the baby's mouth and nose. "Push, Mac! You're almost there!"

"Can't…" Mac panted, shaking her head. "Too tired…."

"Yes you can," Harm told her, holding her. "You can do it, Mac."

Mac gathered together the last of her remaining strength, took a deep breath, and pushed as hard as she possibly could manage. She fell back into Harm's arms, as she felt the baby completely leave her body, and within seconds, they were looking up as the sound of their baby's cries reached their ears for the first time.

"It's a boy!" Dr. Martindale exclaimed, holding him up for all to see.

Mac looked at Harm, whose eyes were bright with unshed tears, as her own tears fell from her eyes.

"Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" Dr. Martindale asked Harm.

Harm nodded, still unable to speak, as he moved forward and took the scissors from Dr. Martindale, following her instructions exactly, and cut his son's umbilical cord.

A nurse took him from Dr. Martindale, wrapping him in a warm blanket, and then handed him to Harm. "Take him to see his Mommy, Dad," she instructed.

Harm cradled the tiny being close to him, and carried him over to show him to Mac.

Mac smiled through her tears, and kissed the tiny forehead. "Hello there," she said softly.

Harm stood to show his son to the family, and then handed him back to the nurse.

"Want to come with us to the nursery, Daddy?" she asked him.

Harm looked at Mac, who grinned encouragingly at him. "Go," she told him.

Harm moved over to kiss her. "I'll see you in awhile," he said, taking the video camera from Frank, and following the nurse from the room.

Mac watched him go, when she suddenly gasped in pain.

Dr. Martindale looked at the nurse. "The family needs to wait outside now," she said softly.

The nurse asked everyone to please go and wait out in the waiting area, and then she returned to find Dr. Martindale pressing firmly on Mac's abdomen.

"She's starting to hemorrhage," Dr. Martindale said. "I need an OR, now!"

The nurse scurried out, and within minutes they were hurriedly wheeling Mac down the hall to the OR.

**14:57 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm came down the hall, a huge grin on his face, and walked into the waiting area. Lily had arrived with Mattie, and Miranda, a short time earlier, and Bud and Harriet had arrived not long after that, and they were all sitting, and talking excitedly about Baby Boy Rabb.

"Harm! How is he?" Mattie asked, rushing up to give him a hug.

"Perfect," he said, beaming.

"Details," Harriet said, as she, too, hugged him.

Harm chuckled. "Six pounds, four ounces, eighteen inches long," he told them all.

"Oh, just a little guy!" Harriet exclaimed.

"Yeah," Harm said. "But he's got a set of lungs on him. He's so much bigger than Miranda was, but he's still tiny."

"How's Mom?" Mattie asked.

"She was fine when I left her," Harm said. "Exhausted, but doing well."

They all made their way down to the nursery, so that they could see the new baby through the window. The nurse happily held him close to the glass, so everyone could get a good look at him, oohing, and aaahing, over him. When they were all satisfied, they made their way back to the waiting room, and Harm took Miranda in his arms, kissing her cheek.

"Dadada," Miranda cooed at him.

Harm smiled. "That's right," he said. "Daddy."

Miranda laughed. "Dadada."

"How about 'Mommy'?" Mattie asked. "Ma-Ma."

Miranda grinned slyly, and laughed. "Dadada."

Everyone was laughing, when Dr. Martindale approached, her face somber.

Harm saw her, and handed Miranda over to Mattie, standing. "Doctor? What's wrong?" he asked, his heart suddenly racing, and his throat going dry.

"Mac started hemorrhaging after everyone left," she told him.

Harm paled, and took a deep breath. "Is she all right?" he asked.

"She'll be fine…" Dr. Martindale said. "But we had to do a complete hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. Even then, we barely managed to save her. She's already had two units of blood, and she'll probably need at least two more. I'll run some tests in a few days to determine if that will be enough."

"Can I see her?" Harm asked, suddenly feeling a knot in his chest.

Dr. Martindale nodded. "She's in recovery, but I'll take you back. She's been asking for you. How's your little guy?"

"Perfect," Harm said, smiling slightly, before worry furrowed his brow again.

"Come on, let's go see your wife," she said, turning.

Harm looked at the solemn faces in the waiting room. "I'll come back to let you know how she's doing, as soon as I can."

Everyone nodded, as Harm turned and followed Dr. Martindale towards the recovery room.

A few moments later, he was sitting in a chair beside Mac's bed, carefully taking her hand in his. His eyes traveled to the bag of blood hanging on the IV pole above her head, and he swallowed hard at the thought that he'd almost lost her, and hadn't even known it.

Mac opened her eyes, when she felt his hand grasp hers. "How's our son?" she asked softly.

"He's beautiful, Mac," Harm assured her. "Perfectly healthy."

Mac relaxed slightly. "Did Dr. Martindale tell you?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "She did."

"I'm so sorry… I know you wanted more children eventually," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Ah, Mac," he said, brushing her hair from her eyes. "Listen to me… look at me."

Mac looked at him, as the tears fell from her eyes.

"We have a beautiful, perfect family. Two gorgeous girls, and now a strong, handsome son… if they are all the children God sees fit to give us, then I am perfectly happy with that. We are so blessed; we have what many other people only dream of," he told her.

Mac smiled tearfully, nodding. "I know. It's just~" she hesitated, shrugging her shoulder.

"I know," he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her. "You need to rest now, and get your strength up, so you can see our son."

Mac nodded, closing her eyes. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too," he murmured, leaning close. Kissing her temple, he rubbed her forehead with his finger. "Thank you for our beautiful, wonderful son."

Mac smiled, before drifting back to sleep.

**16:31 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

Harm walked out to the waiting area to find that everyone was still there, anxiously awaiting news of Mac's condition.

"How is she?" AJ asked him.

"She's tired, and weak, but she'll be fine," he said, which brought a collective sigh of relief around the room. "They've moved her to her regular room, and she's asleep right now. Dr. Martindale said she has to sleep a bit, before they can bring the baby to her."

"So she won't be up for visitors until tomorrow," Trish said.

Harm nodded. "I'm afraid not."

"It's okay," Harriet said. "At least she's going to be all right."

Harm nodded his agreement.

"You look pretty beat yourself, Son," Frank said. "Do you need anything?"

Harm had taken Miranda from AJ, and was holding her close. "No, I'm okay. They put Mac in the Family Suite, so I'll be staying here with her. Lily has agreed to watch Miranda for a couple of days… well, that was the initial plan," he said, looking at Lily.

Lily smiled. "Don't worry, Harm; the girls will be fine with me. You take care of Mac and that new little guy."

"Thanks," Harm said, smiling tightly.

"We'll help her out, too," AJ said.

"I appreciate that," he replied, and then kissed Miranda. "You be a good girl, and you can come see Mommy and your new brother tomorrow," he told her, before handing her over to Lily. "Thanks again."

"Not a problem, Harm," Lily said, smiling at him. "Keep us informed, please?"

"I will," he promised, and then hugged Mattie. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Mattie said, as she followed Lily out of the waiting area.

Harm said goodbye to the rest of the family, before heading back to the room where Mac was soundly sleeping. Quietly, he picked up the duffel bag he'd brought with them, and went into the bathroom to change into a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt. When he'd finished, he climbed into the large bed beside Mac, and carefully put his arms around her, kissing her forehead. In no time at all, he, too, was sound asleep.


	60. Chapter 60

A/N: As always, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! for all of the great feedback! It is greatly appreciated! My husband had his surgery last Wednesday, and has been in the Critical Care Unit since. He is doing well, though progressing slowly... which is what the doctor wants. Slow and steady. Thanks for all of your prayers, and well wishes~ I really appreciate the support! Enjoy...

**09:23 EST**

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

**Bethesda, MD**

**The Next Day**

Harm looked up at the knock on the door, and smiled at his family. He was sitting in the rocking chair near the bed, gently rocking his son, while he spoke soothingly to him in soft tones.

"Hi," he greeted them. "Come on in."

They entered the room, and saw that Mac was sitting up in the bed, watching Harm. She smiled softly at them as well.

"How are you feeling, Mac?" Trish asked.

"Sore," Mac told her. "I'm trying not to take anymore pain medication than is absolutely necessary, since I'm nursing."

"Even though the doctor told her it was perfectly okay for her to take the amount of pain medication she needs, since it won't hurt him," Harm said, indicating his sleeping son, and then giving Mac a stern look.

"I don't want to take any chances," Mac said stubbornly.

"Speaking of him," Frank said, nodding his head towards his grandson, "have you decided on a name yet? We can't very well go on calling him 'baby boy Rabb' forever."

Mac beamed at him. "Actually, we settled on a name last night."

Harm stood, handing the tiny boy to his stepfather. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Christopher Franklin Rabb."

Frank smiled broadly, even as his eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what to say… I'm honored. Thank you."

Harm smiled proudly at Mac, who returned his smile.

"Where did you get Christopher from?" Trish asked, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"It's my Uncle Matt's middle name," Mac told her.

"It's perfect," Frank said, as he held his grandson close to him.

Christopher opened his eyes and looked up at his grandfather, and gave a small smile, before closing his eyes again.

**13:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**One week later**

Harm went around to the passenger side to help Mac out of the car, before he opened the back door and took Christopher out, car seat and all.

Lily came out of the house and took Chris, and the diaper bag, from Harm, so that he could assist Mac into the house.

When they got inside, they found a house full of people waiting for them.

Harm helped Mac to the sofa, and handed her a couple of pillows as soon as she was seated.

"Okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah; thanks," Mac replied.

Miranda crawled over to her, pulled herself up to a standing position against the sofa, and held her arms out.

"Ma-ma-ma," she said, bouncing up and down.

"You said Mama!" Mac exclaimed happily, as Frank lifted the baby girl up and carefully handed her to Mac. Mac kissed her.

Miranda put her head on Mac's shoulder, and sighed, before moving back to look at Mac. She began babbling happily, and would alternately point or clap her hands, as she carried on.

Mac continued to smile at her, encouraging her babbling with things like, "oh, really?" or "you don't say?" until Miranda nodded her head and laughed excitedly.

Everyone was smiling bemusedly at the sight, and when Miranda had finished, she squirmed to be let down.

AJ moved to grab her before she fell, and then helped her to the floor, where Miranda crawled off to play with her basket of toys in the corner.

"She really missed you," Lily told Mac. "It helped that we took her to the hospital to see you a few times, but it was obvious when we were home that she missed having you here with her."

Mac smiled, nodding. "I missed her, too."

Everyone had finally had a turn at holding Chris, so Harm handed him over to Mac. "He'll probably be getting hungry soon," he said.

"Yeah, probably," Mac replied, as she held her son close.

Miranda looked up from the toy she was playing with, and saw Mac holding the baby. Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned, just before she threw the toy into the basket and crawled back over to the sofa. She again pulled herself to a standing position, and held her arms out towards Mac. "Mamama," she said.

Mac looked down at her. "Hello, sweetheart," she said, smiling at her.

"Mamama," Miranda repeated, holding her arms up and bouncing up and down.

"I can't hold you just now," Mac told her. "I have your brother."

Miranda squealed in a high-pitched tone, and began crying, which woke Christopher, causing him to cry as well.

Mac looked at Harm in a panic, just as Harm scooped Miranda up and looked at her.

"Hey… what is that?" he asked her sternly. "You know that is not okay."

Miranda continued to cry, reaching for Mac. "Mamama."

Mac handed Chris to AJ, since he was closest, and then reached for Miranda. "It's okay," she soothed the baby girl, as soon as Harm handed her over.

Miranda put her arms around Mac's neck and burrowed her face into her shoulder, still crying.

Mac rubbed her back, kissing her every now and then, while she murmured soothing words to her. "I love you," she said softly, making a shushing sound.

Miranda pulled away, looking at Mac, and then glaring at Chris, who was now settled back to sleep. She pointed at him, and then babbled, and then pointed at Mac, babbling some more, before she again put her head on Mac's shoulder and sniffled.

Mac continued to hold Miranda for awhile, alternately rubbing her back, and running her fingers through her soft auburn curls. She would sometimes give her soft kisses, or murmur comforting words.

Finally, Miranda turned so that she was sitting on Mac's lap, with Mac's right arm around her, looking at Christopher.

Mac asked AJ to hand Christopher over to her as well, holding him in her left arm, while Harm kneeled beside the sofa to stop Miranda from doing anything to hurt Christopher.

"You remember Chris," Mac said. "You saw him in the hospital. This is your new brother… he's going to need you to take good care of him."

Miranda glared at the sleeping infant, and then looked at Mac.

Mac smiled at her. "You don't have to be jealous… we still love you, too."

Miranda leaned a little closer to Chris, and Harm was about to stop her, when Mac shook her head at him. She looked at the sleeping baby boy, a puzzled look on her face. She reached out a hand to him, but paused when Mac spoke to her.

"Be nice to Chris," she told Miranda.

Miranda looked at Mac, and then reached out and touched Chris' cheek with her small hand. Then she looked at Mac, who smiled and nodded.

"That's a good girl," she encouraged. "Be nice."

Miranda smiled at Mac, and again lightly touched Chris' soft cheek, before looking to Mac for approval.

"Good girl, Miranda," Mac said, kissing her. "Harm, can you take him?"

Harm took Chris from Mac, and moved to sit in a nearby chair.

Mac winced a bit as Miranda turned in her lap, moving so she could hug Mac again.

"Mamama," Miranda murmured.

"That's right," Mac said, kissing her temple.

After several minutes, Miranda drifted off to sleep.

"I'll take her up to bed," Frank said, carefully lifting the sleeping girl off of Mac.

"Thank you, Frank," Mac said, putting her head back and sighing.

"You okay?" Harm asked her.

Mac nodded. "Yeah, just tired.

"Why don't you go upstairs and lie down until Chris wakes up to be fed?" Harm suggested. "We've got everything under control down here."

"Okay," Mac agreed, as AJ helped her to stand.

Harm handed Chris over to his mother, and then he helped Mac up the stairs to their bedroom. He waited until she'd changed into a nightgown, and climbed into bed, before he kissed her.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," Mac replied, smiling. "I think we're going to have to make an extra effort to pay attention to Miranda… reassure her that we still love her."

Harm nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too. But we can't let her get away with whatever she wants, just because we're trying to get her to adjust to a new baby in the house."

"That's true," Mac agreed.

"Get some rest; I'll bring Chris up when he gets hungry," Harm told her, kissing her again.

"Thank you," Mac said, settling in.

Harm turned at the doorway, and smiled. Mac was already sound asleep.

**16:34 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac awoke to the sound of Chris' frantic cries, and sat up gingerly in the bed. Harm gave her a sheepish look, as he handed the baby to her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was hoping to let you sleep longer."

"It's okay," Mac assured him, as she began to feed her son. "Is everyone still here?"

"Yeah; Grammy, Mom, and Harriet are making dinner, Bud, AJ, and Frank are entertaining the kids, Mattie is reading, and I gave Lily the rest of today and all of tomorrow off," he told her.

"Miranda's awake?" she asked.

"She woke up about twenty minutes ago," Harm told her. "She's perfectly happy playing with her grandpas, Bud, and the other kids."

Mac smiled tiredly. "I'm very glad you're taking family leave; I really need you here with me now."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mac," he promised. "I assured my CO that this will be the last time I need to take family leave for awhile, but I also made it clear that I absolutely need to be here with you and our children."

Mac's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you. This may be the last time you need to take family leave at all…" she said quietly. "Unless we adopt again in the future."

Harm sat beside her on the bed, and kissed her forehead, brushing a tear from her cheek. "We'll cross that bridge another time," he told her. "Right now, we have three children to love and look after. It's more than we dared to hope for a little more than a year and a half ago."

Mac smiled, nodding. "You're right; I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, kissing her lips tenderly. "Now, our little Miranda is going to be a year old soon, and we need to start thinking about a birthday party. Everyone has promised to help out with the actual party, but I think we need to handle the planning phase ourselves… that is, if you're up to it?"

"Absolutely," she said. "I can hardly believe it's been a year already. It's funny; when I was on restricted movement, the time often seemed to crawl by, but when I look back over all that's happened in the last year, it seems to have gone by so fast."

Harm chuckled, nodding. "Funny how that works."

"So, what kind of theme should we have for Miranda's birthday party?" Mac asked him.

"Butterflies?" Harm asked. "That's the theme of the nursery, and she really gets excited when she sees them on things wherever we go."

"I think that's a great idea," Mac said. "I assume Frank, Trish, and Grammy are staying until after her party?"

Harm laughed. "Oh, yeah; I forgot to tell you that Mom and Frank bought a Condo in DC, so that they have someplace for the three of them to stay when they come for extended visits. Mom and Grammy have gone wild decorating the place. When you're feeling better, we're supposed to go and see it."

Mac shook her head. "Trish's idea?"

"Actually, it was Frank's," Harm replied. "He wants to visit more often, so that he can properly spoil his grandchildren."

Mac's eyes widened, and she laughed again. "Oh, heaven's! Between Frank, and AJ, our kids are going to be spoiled rotten!"

Though he, too, was laughing, Harm's eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked, concerned.

"I love how that sounds… 'our kids'," he said, smiling contentedly.

"Me, too," Mac said, leaning forward for a kiss, which Harm was happy to oblige.

A sudden, very unhappy squeal, sounded from downstairs, and Harm looked at Mac with a slight grimace.

"We have _got_ to break her of that," he said.

Mac nodded solemnly, and sighed. "Soon."


	61. Chapter 61

A/N: Sorry for the lengthy delay. My husband's surgery was 3 weeks ago today, and he is still in the hospital. He was doing well, and then took a turn for the worse, so he ended up in ICU. We almost lost him a few times, but he is back in a regular room, and doing much better, though still not out of the woods yet. He keeps bleeding internally, but when they do the tests to find out where and why, they can't find anything... ARGH! Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated, as is all of the wonderful feedback!! God bless you all! I'll post as I have time; I promise! Enjoy...

**16:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Saturday; two weeks later**

Mac set the large bouquet of wildflowers in the center of the long table (which was actually several tables lined up side-by-side), and tied the giant metallic butterfly balloon to the top of the basket the bouquet was in.

Miranda, who was currently being held by AJ, laughed happily, and reached for the balloon.

"Balloon," AJ told her, pointing to it. "Can you say 'balloon'?"

Miranda grinned, scrunching her nose at him, and then laughed again. "Mie," she said.

"That's right," Mac said, kissing her cheek. "It's yours."

"Mama," Miranda said, reaching for Mac.

Mac took her from AJ, wincing slightly.

"If she's too heavy, Mac, I'll hold on to her for awhile," AJ said. "You are still recovering from major surgery."

"I know; thanks," Mac replied. "It only hurts a little on occasion; I'm fine."

"Mac?" Harm called from the back door.

Mac turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

"Chris is awake, and he's demanding your immediate attention," he said, as he came out to where she was, taking Miranda from her, so that she could head into the house.

"Dah!" Miranda said, smiling at him, and patting his cheek.

Harm smiled, lightly flicking her nose with his finger. "That's me," he told her.

Miranda sucked her cheeks in, puckering her lips like a fish, and leaned towards him.

Harm chuckled, kissing her. "Silly girl," he said, tickling her tummy.

"Mie," she said, pointing to the balloon floating lazily above the table.

Harm nodded. "Yep, it's yours."

Bud and Harriet, along with their four children, came around the corner. Bud was carrying a large, brightly wrapped box, while Harriet pushed the double stroller that contained the twins.

"Uncle Harm!" AJ and Jimmy exclaimed, running towards them. "Uncle AJ!"

"Hey there!" AJ said, kneeling down to receive hugs from both boys. "How are you?"

"Fine," they said, again in tandem.

"Glad to hear it," AJ said. He stood and took the box from Bud, placing it on the table that contained all of the other gifts.

"How are you, Bud?" Harm asked, shaking his friend's hand. "Harriet?"

"Fine, Harm, how are you?" Bud answered.

"Great," Harm said.

"Buh!" Miranda said, reaching for Bud.

"That's right!" Bud said happily, taking her from Harm. "I'm your Uncle Bud! How is the birthday girl?" he asked, kissing her cheek.

Miranda laughed, and then pointed to the balloon above the table. "Mie," she told him.

Harm had knelt down, hugging AJ and Jimmy, and then kissing the twins, who were babbling happily, and trying to climb out of the stroller.

"Out!" Nikki said to Harriet.

"Just a minute!" Harriet said, as she tried to unbuckle the straps from her squirming daughter. As soon as she had them both out of the stroller, they ran towards the playhouse that Harm had hired for the occasion.

"Where's Mac?" Harriet asked, as she took Miranda from her husband, kissing her cheek, and acknowledging her declaration that the butterfly balloon was hers.

"She went inside to feed Chris," Harm told her, as they began moving in the direction the children had all headed.

"Do you guys need any help?" Harriet asked.

"You'll have to ask Mac; she's officially in charge," Harm told her.

Harriet set Miranda on her feet, straightening the pale pink sundress that was covered with butterflies, before allowing her to toddle over to where the other kids were playing.

"She's much steadier on her feet than she was a few days ago," AJ observed.

"No kidding," Harm chuckled. "She took her first steps last week, and she's practically running this week."

"They grow up fast," Harriet said, sighing, as she watched her own brood playing in the playhouse. "AJ! Watch out for Mandy!"

"Sorry!" AJ said, as he helped Miranda back to her feet.

"Well, if you gentlemen will stay out here and watch the children, I'll go see if I can be of any help inside," Harriet told them.

"We'll be happy to, Honey," Bud said, smiling at his wife.

**17:30 EST**

**Rabb Home **

**Clifton, VA**

Everyone had finished eating, and Mac had Harm and Bud separate the children by age groups for the games she had planned. For the older children, 'Pin the tail on the Donkey', 'Duck, Duck, Goose', a water balloon toss, and a large piñata were on the agenda. For the younger ones, coloring books, play dough, and a small wading pool were enough entertainment.

Finally, it was time to open presents, so Harm and Mac sat with Miranda on a blanket laid out on the grass, while everyone gathered around. Sergei, who had flown in with his wife, Galina and their infant son, Nikolai Harmon, held Chris, while Frank manned the video camera, and Lily took charge of the digital camera.

Harm set a large box, covered in brightly colored balloon wrapping paper, in front of Miranda, and she gasped in delight, eyes wide.

"Mie," she said, pointing to the box.

"Yep, it's yours," Harm told her, smiling.

Miranda began patting the box, while Mac read the card out loud. "This is from Grampa Frank and Gramma Trish," she told Miranda.

Harm pulled a corner of the paper open, showing Miranda what to do. It didn't take her long to get the hang of it, and before long she had all of the paper off of the box. She gasped at the large box, and then frowned up at Harm.

"Wasat?" she asked him.

Harm laughed, as he took hold of the top of the box and opened it. "Let's find out," he said. He tilted the box so that it was on its side, and then pulled out the item inside.

It was a large, handmade wooden rocking horse, with a real leather saddle. The detail was amazing, and the quality was impressive; it was quite realistic looking.

"Dog!" Miranda said, clapping and laughing.

"No," Harm told her. "Horse."

Harm lifted her so that she was sitting on it, showing her how to hold onto the handles, and then gently rocked her back and forth on it.

Miranda laughed excitedly, and soon figured out how to make it rock on her own. She scrunched up her nose and was about to squeal in protest when Harm pulled her off of it, but one look at his stern expression stopped her.

"Want to go to bed?" he asked.

Miranda shook her head 'no'.

"I didn't think so," he said, and then accepted another box from little AJ, setting it in front of Miranda.

An half an hour later, Miranda had a large pile of clothing and toys stacked nearby, and when Harm finally allowed her to stand up to go and play with them, she headed right for her rocking horse.

Everyone watched, smiling, while Harm helped her onto it, and she began to rock back and forth, laughing excitedly.

"Who wants cake?" Trish finally asked.

"Me!!" all of the older children, including Mattie and Chloe, chorused at once.

Mac stood, and moved towards the table where the cake had been set, while Harm picked Miranda up and carried her over, setting her in her high chair and putting the small personal birthday cake that they had ordered in front of her. He had to stop her from grabbing it, as Mac lit the candle, and then everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to her.

With Mac and Harm's help, she finally managed to blow out the single candle, and everyone cheered and clapped.

Mac removed the candle, and Harm let go of Miranda's hand, and nodded to her.

"Okay," he told her. "It's all yours."

"Mie?" she asked.

"Yep," Mac said, kissing her cheek. "Yours."

Miranda grabbed a handful of the brightly colored butterfly made of frosting, and stuffed it into her mouth, smearing most of it on her face, while everyone watched, laughing.

Then the caterers began serving the larger cake, and ice cream, to the guests and family members.

Harm and Mac, one on either side of Miranda's high chair, looked over the top of their frosting-covered daughter's head, and smiled happily.

**22:34 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac sat in the rocking chair, nursing Chris, while Harm sat up in bed, going over a file he needed to review for work on Monday, when a knock sounded on the bedroom door.

Harm set his paperwork down, and looked over to Mac, nodding.

"Come in," Mac called softly.

Mattie and Chloe came in, moving to stand by the rocking chair where Mac was sitting.

"What can we do for you?" Harm asked, eyebrows raised.

"We were hoping you'd let us go to the movies tomorrow night," Chloe said, glancing at Mattie.

"I don't see why not," Harm said, looking at Mac.

"What aren't you telling us?" Mac asked, eyeing the two girls.

"Well…" Mattie hesitated. "It's kinda a double date."

That got Harm's immediate attention. "What? With who?"

"Remember last time I was here, and we met those boys at the theater?" Chloe asked. When Mac and Harm nodded, she continued. "Well, I've been keeping in touch with the one… Josh, and he and his friend want to know if we can have a double date. Movie, and then go out to eat someplace. They said they'll come here to meet you guys, and they'll even be agreeable to one of you driving us if you don't feel comfortable letting us ride with them, and~"

"Chloe," Mac interrupted the girl's rambling. "Breathe."

Harm looked at Mac. "We'll need to discuss this, and then we'll let you know in the morning; okay?"

Mattie and Chloe looked at one another. It was better than they'd hoped for, coming from the usually overprotective Harm.

"Okay," they said together, and then kissed Mac on the cheek before walking over and kissing Harm, too.

"Goodnight," Mattie said.

"Night," Chloe echoed.

"Goodnight," Mac and Harm said, as they slipped back out the door and closed it behind them.

Harm looked at Mac, a small, worried frown creasing his brow. "What do you think?"

Mac tried to hide her smile. "Well, I'll call Chloe's grandmother tomorrow, and see what she says, but I don't see any reason why they can't go."

"Mac, they aren't old enough to date!" he said.

"Harm, they're plenty old enough… at least for a double date. It's not like they're going separately, and they're even going to be in public places. The fact that the boys have agreed to meet us is a good thing, too," Mac told him.

"Mac," Harm said. "Teenage boys only have one thing on their minds."

"Harm," Mac countered. "Men in general only have one thing on their minds; it doesn't mean that they're going to do anything about it."

"We'll meet them, and if I don't like what I see, all deals are off," Harm told her.

"Oh, all right," Mac said, sighing. "But you warn the girls ahead of time."

Harm nodded. "That seems fair."

Mac had finished feeding and burping Chris, so she stood up and carried him over to Harm, holding him so that his father could kiss him goodnight.

"Night tiger," Harm said to his sleeping son.

Mac carried him back over and put him into the cradle, leaning forward to gently kiss his forehead. Then she went back over to the bed, took her robe off and laid it on the chest at the foot of the bed, and climbed in.

Harm had picked up his folder again, and was reading the paper on the top of the stack inside.

Mac lay on her side facing him, propped up on her elbow. She used her free hand to begin running her hand up and down his thigh.

Harm bit his top lip. "Ma-ac," he groaned. "That isn't fair."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you have a doctor's note, remember? No extracurricular activities?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually," Mac told him. "I got the all-clear from Dr. Martindale yesterday at my appointment. As long as I'm not experiencing any discomfort."

Harm set his folder aside, and moved so that he was lying in the bed, facing her. Giving her a look of concern, he began moving his hand slowly up her side. "You'll tell me if anything's hurting?"

"Promise," she replied, rolling onto her back, and tugging his hand so that he was lying partially on top of her.

Harm leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "I love you, Mrs. Rabb."

"Mmm… I love you, too, Mr. Rabb," she said, pulling him in for another kiss.

"Thank you," he said, as he nuzzled her neck.

"For what?" she asked, pulling his t-shirt over his head.

"For giving me what I've always wanted," he answered, before kissing her deeply again.

When the need for oxygen finally forced them apart, Mac looked up into his eyes, and asked breathlessly, "What would that be?"

"A family," he said, and kissed her forehead. "Mom, Frank and Grammy tried, they really did, but it never felt like this. I'm happier, and more content, than I've ever been in my life, Mac, and it's all because of you and our family."

Mac's eyes filled with tears. "I know just how you feel," she told him, and pulled him back in for another breathtaking kiss.


	62. Chapter 62

Hi all! FINALLY I've gotten to write another chapter! My husband is home, and finally doing well, though he still tires very easily. Not surprising, considering he almost died several times during his four week hospital stay. THANK YOU!!!!! for all of your awesome feedback, as well as your prayers. They are all appreciated! Hopefully :crossing fingers: I'll be able to work on this more. I currently have several JAG stories in the works (I don't want to post them until they're done, or close to it), so I write whichever one the mood strikes me, but I am determined to finish this one! Enjoy...

**18:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Next Day**

Chloe bounced up out of the chair at the sound of the doorbell. "They're here!" she exclaimed.

"Easy," Harm said, as Chloe and Mattie went out to greet the boys that were to be their dates for the evening. He looked at Mac, and sighed.

"Relax," she told him, as she finished nursing Chris and set him into the baby swing, and then picked Miranda up off of the floor, and kissed her cheek.

"Dad, Mom," Mattie said, as she led a tall, dark-haired boy into the family room. "This is Troy Ashburn."

"Hello Sir, Ma'am," Troy said, reaching a hand out to shake Harm's. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Harm nodded to the young man. "Hello, Troy."

Chloe came in at that moment. "Harm, Mac, this is~"

"Josh!" Harm and Mac exclaimed at once.

"Harm, Mac!" Josh Pendry said, equally surprised.

"You guys know each other?" Chloe asked in amazement, as Josh moved to hug first Harm, and then Mac.

"Harm is my godfather," Josh said, grinning broadly. "I haven't seen him in almost four years! How are you Harm?"

Harm grinned. "Good, Josh, how are you?"

"Fine," Josh said. "Getting straight A's… have to, if I want to be a pilot."

Harm shook his head. "You still haven't given up on that idea, huh? How's your mom? I'm guessing she still doesn't like the idea of you becoming a pilot?"

"Mom's good. She got married last year to a guy she met at the bank where she works," he told them. "He's an investment broker, and he's pretty nice. Mom still hates the idea of me being a pilot; she's trying to convince me to be a doctor, or something 'safe'."

Harm nodded. "I still feel bad about deceiving her," he told him. "I hope my influence didn't encourage you to do the same."

"Nah," Josh said, shrugging his shoulders. "Mom gave me a stern lecture about the two of us lying to her, and I was grounded for two weeks, but that was the extent of it. I was more angry with her for keeping me from seeing you, than I was about anything else. At least she still gave me all the gifts you sent."

"She's not going to be upset about this, is she?" Harm asked.

"I don't see how she could be," Josh said. "Neither Chloe, or I, knew that the other knows you; it's a total coincidence."

"Yeah, but will your mom believe that?" Harm asked.

"I think she will," Josh said. "Tim has been really good for her." He looked at Mac, and then at Chris and Miranda. "So, you and Mac are finally married, huh? You sure had your babies close together."

Mac smiled. "We adopted Miranda here, last year, and Christopher," she said, indicating the sleeping infant in the baby swing beside the sofa, "was born three weeks ago."

"How long have you been married?" Josh asked.

"Just over a year," Harm said, grinning.

"Cool," Josh said. "Oh, hey, we don't mean to ignore you, Troy," he said to his friend.

"Don't worry about it," Troy said, grinning. "I think it's cool you guys know each other, but we're gonna be late for the movie, if we don't go soon."

"Did you want to drive us?" Josh asked Harm. "I brought my car, but we're okay with the idea of you driving, if it makes you more comfortable."

Harm looked at Mac. "What do you think?"

"I think we can trust them," Mac said, winking at Josh.

"Just remember, only public places, and make sure they're home by 23:00," Harm said.

"Yes, Sir," Josh and Troy said together.

Mattie and Chloe hugged both Harm and Mac, and then Harm walked with them all to the front door. As soon as they were gone, Harm came back into the family room, and Mac smiled as he sat down on the sofa and took Miranda from her.

"You're not dating until you're thirty," he told the little girl.

Miranda looked up at him, with her wide, dark eyes, patted his cheek, and laughed.

**22:58 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm looked up from the book he was reading when he heard the front door open, and he looked at his watch.

"Two minutes early," he grinned at Mac, who rolled her eyes at him. He went to stand, but stopped when Mac grabbed his arm.

"Let them have a few minutes alone to say goodbye," she said.

Mattie, Troy, Josh and Chloe came into the room, and Troy smiled at them.

"On time, as ordered, Sir," Troy said.

"Good men," Harm said, returning the young man's smile.

"Josh's mom and step-dad are here," Chloe told them. "Josh called her from the restaurant, and told her that you were the ones I'm staying with, and she told him she wanted to come and see you when they brought us home."Harm and Mac shared a look, and then nodded to her.

"Why don't you show them in," Mac suggested.

"We're going to go ahead and go," Josh told Harm. "It was great seeing you again; hopefully Mom won't nix that… I really had fun with Chloe, and I'd like to go out with her again."

"Take care of yourself, Josh," Harm said. "Troy, it was good to meet you."

"Thank you, Sir. It was good to meet you, too," Troy said.

"Goodnight," Josh said.

"Goodnight," Harm and Mac said.

The teenagers all left the room, and a moment later, Annie and her new husband entered.

"Harm… I hope it's not too late," Annie said.

Harm stood. "No; not at all."

Mac had stood up as well, and moved over to stand beside Harm.

"Annie, how are you?" she asked, smiling.

"Fine," she said, returning the smile. "Harm, Mac, I'd like you to meet Tim Collinfield, my husband. Tim, this is Harmon Rabb, and his wife, Mac."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Harm said, shaking Tim's hand.

"Likewise," Tim said.

"Have a seat," Mac said to them. "Can I get you anything? I have iced tea and lemonade, or diet cola."

"No, thank you," Annie said, as she sat on the loveseat.

"I'm fine, thank you," Tim replied, taking the seat beside his wife.

Harm and Mac had just sat back down on the sofa, when Mattie and Chloe came in.

"We're going to head to bed," Chloe said. "Do you want us to get Miranda if she wakes up?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Mac said, as the girls came over to kiss them goodnight. "If she won't settle down, just bring her here."

"'Night Dad; Mom," Mattie said. "Love you."

"Love you guys," Chloe said. "G'night."

"Love you, too," Mac said, and then watched as the girls climbed the stairs.

As soon as the girls were gone, Harm looked at Annie.

"Annie, I want to assure you that Mac and I had no idea that it was your Josh that Chloe has been talking to all this time. I still feel terrible about lying to you, and I wouldn't repeat that mistake again," Harm said.

Annie smiled at him. "I know; but thank you for telling me that. So… you have a teenager and two infants? When did that happen?"

Harm quickly gave her the condensed version, and then smiled at Tim. "So, how did you two meet?"

"I got promoted at the bank that I work at, and Tim was one of the clients I worked with. We became friends, and one day he asked me to go out to dinner with him… before long, we were dating regularly, and about a year and a half ago, he proposed," Annie said, taking Tim's hand and smiling at him. "I was hesitant at first, because I was worried about how Josh would take it, but surprisingly, he was very open to the idea. When I talked with him about it, he said that you had once told him that you had never given your stepfather a chance, and that you regretted that, and that you had encouraged him to keep an open mind if I ever wanted to remarry."

Harm smiled and nodded. "At the time, I had myself in mind as a prospective stepfather, but I'm glad things worked out the way they did," he said, taking Mac's hand and entwining their fingers, and then kissing the top of her hand. "I'm happier than I ever thought possible."

"Me too," Annie said. "I don't have any objections to Josh spending time with you, if he wants to. Just… please, don't encourage him to want to fly."

"Thank you," Harm said. "I've missed him. He told me he still wants to be a pilot, and that you still object to that idea."

Annie sighed. "Of course I object, but it seems like the more I fight him about it, the more determined he becomes. He knows I don't like the idea, but we don't argue about it anymore. I just don't think he needs anymore encouragement in that area."

Harm gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. "I can respect that."

Chris started crying, so Mac stood and moved to pick him up out of the swing, holding him close.

"Hey there," she soothed. "What's wrong, hmm? You can't be getting hungry already."

Annie looked up with wide eyes at the newborn, smiling. "Oh, Mac, he's beautiful," she said, as Mac turned him so that they could see him. "How old is he?"

"Three weeks," Mac said, resuming her seat on the sofa, and cradling her son in her arms.

Harm lightly caressed his head. "Hey tiger, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

Chris looked up at the sound of his father's voice, and quieted.

"Oh, so it's you he wants," Mac said, smiling as she handed him to Harm.

Annie watched as Harm tenderly held the small baby boy in his hands, talking in soft tones. "You're a natural at that," she commented.

Harm grinned. "I've had a lot of practice," he told her. "Miranda was premature, and when she was born, she fit into the palm of one hand. As small as he is, Chris here was still more than twice the size Miranda was when she was born."

"Amazing," Tim said. "Is it difficult? Being a father?"

"It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," Harm told him, smiling. "But also the most exciting. Flying a Tomcat pales in comparison."

Mac looked at him, surprised, and then gave him a huge smile and kissed his cheek.

"We should be going," Annie said. "It's getting very late, and I'm sure Josh won't sleep until he finds out what we talked about. Thank you for letting us come talk to you tonight."

"It was our pleasure," Mac said, smiling at her. "You're all welcome here, anytime."

"Thank you," Annie said. "We'll have to get together for dinner sometime."

"We'd like that," Mac told her.

Harm stood, cradling his son in his left arm so that he could shake hands with Tim again. "It was very good to meet you. Take care of Annie and Josh."

"I will," Tim promised.

Harm and Mac walked them to the door, waiting until the car pulled out of the driveway, before locking up, and heading upstairs with Chris for the night.

**00:32 EST**

**Collinfield Home**

**Silver Spring, MD**

Josh flung the door open as soon as Tim and Annie stepped onto the porch, eyes wide.

"Well? How did it go? What did you say? Can I still see Chloe, and talk to Harm?"

Annie looked at her husband, shrugged, and smiled. "Why don't you let us get inside, and settled, before you bombard us with questions?"

Josh deflated slightly, nodding. He moved out of the door so that they could enter the house, and then followed them into the living room and sat in a chair.

As soon as Tim and Annie had settled onto the sofa, Annie spoke.

"It went very well," she told her son. "I'm going to allow you to continue to see Chloe, and Harm and Mac, too. You know I still don't like the idea of you becoming a pilot, but my keeping you from Harm hasn't dissuaded you, and I can see that Harm has changed a lot in four years. But you will still have to follow rules… you can't just go over there anytime you feel like it. They have two babies, and a teenager, and the last thing they need is another person underfoot all of the time."

"I understand," Josh said. "Thank you, though. I've really missed Harm. He was the only person, besides you, that knew my dad, and I miss having someone to talk to about him."

Annie's gut twisted guiltily at that. She hadn't meant to keep her son from knowing about his father, it had just been too painful for her to talk about him. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you more about him."

"I know," Josh said. "It's okay."

"No," Annie said. "It really isn't. You have the right to know all about him, and because I didn't want to deal with the pain it caused, I didn't talk about it. Maybe having Harm to talk to about him will be good for you."

Josh smiled at her. "Thanks, Mom. I promise I'll tell you where we're going, and what we're doing… and no lying to you."

"That's all I ask," she said. "Now, it's after midnight, so why don't you go on up to bed."

"All right," Josh said. He stood up and hugged his mom, and then nodded to Tim. "When you get a chance, can I talk to you?"

Tim smiled and nodded. "Of course. Do you want to talk tonight?"

Josh shrugged. "Nah; tomorrow's good."

"All right, then. Good night," Tim said.

"G'night," Josh said, and then disappeared down the hall.

"I'm proud of you, Annie," Tim said, kissing his wife's hand. "I know how hard it must be for you, but letting go of the reins a little is the right thing to do."

"I'm just so afraid of losing him," Annie said, sighing.

"Sweetie, there are so many things that could happen that could cause you to lose him, you could make yourself crazy just thinking about it. He's growing up, and you have to let him. If you fight it, you'll just end up making him resent you, and then you really will lose him… for good," he told her.

"I know," she said. "I know you're right, but it doesn't make it any easier."

"No, it doesn't," Tim said. "Are you ready for bed?"

Annie nodded. "In a minute. There's just one other thing I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Tim asked, frowning slightly.

"I decided something on the way home," she said. "That is, if you still want it, too."

Tim looked confused. "That would be…?"

"I'm ready now," she told him. "I'm ready to have a baby with you."

Tim's eyes widened, and he grinned. "Really? What made you change your mind?"

Annie smiled softly. "Seeing how happy Harm and Mac are. They have two infants, and they're happier than I've ever seen them. And seeing little Chris… I'd forgotten how wonderful babies are. So, if you still want to, I'm ready to have a baby."

"Oh, I definitely still want to," Tim said, still grinning widely. He stood up and held his hand out to her. "Think we could start tonight?'

Annie stood, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I think that could be arranged."

Josh moved quickly to his room, closing the door quietly and leaning against it, his nose crinkled at the thought of his parents having sex. But then he smiled and shrugged, as he got ready for bed. If all went well, he'd finally have the sibling he'd always wanted.

Maybe that would take some of his mother's focus off of him for a change.

And that was perfectly all right with him, he thought, as he crawled into bed and closed his eyes.


	63. Chapter 63

A/N: As always, Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! to all who have reviewed. It is always greatly appreciated, even if I can't answer you individually. I spent several days in the hospital with pnuemonia, and the day I got out, my hubby went in with a staph infection in his blood. We're still in the hospital (I usually stay with him), and I finally got a new cord for my laptop, so I'm back to writing! ::crosses fingers:: I REALLY hope that I get some time to actually write! God bless you all, and thank you for your prayers. Enjoy!

**11:23 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**2 Weeks Later**

Chloe sat on Mac's bed, helping her fold the babies' clothes and bedding, and watching Miranda bounce up and down, as she held onto the headboard.

"You're not supposed to jump on the bed, Mandy," she told the toddler.

Miranda stopped what she was doing, looked at her and laughed, and then began bouncing again.

Mac gave Chloe an indulgent smile, when she sighed loudly. "She's fine."

"Mac?" Chloe asked. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"You can ask," Mac said. "I can't guarantee that I'll answer."

"How old were you the first time you had sex?" Chloe blurted.

Mac set the baby blanket down, and gave Chloe her full attention. "Is this something you're considering?"

Chloe shrugged, not looking at her. "No… yes… I don't know."

Mac studied her for a moment. It was still hard sometimes for her to wrap her brain around the idea that Chloe was no longer a little girl. And while she might not yet be an adult, she was often faced with very adult decisions as part of the growing-up process. "Chlooo… talk to me," she finally said softly, putting her hand on Chloe's and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Chloe sighed. "I miss you, Mac," she said. "Don't get me wrong… I love my dad, and my grandparents, but I miss having another woman to talk to."

Mac smiled at that.

"I don't think my dad would understand a lot of the things I need to talk about, and, well… would you have talked to _your_ grandmothers about sex?"

Mac shook her head. "My mother's mother was Muslim, and my father's mother was Baptist," she said. "If I'd even suggested the idea, I'd have gotten, at the very least, the lecture of my life."

"I don't think my Gramma would lecture me, but it would still be uncomfortable," Chloe said. "I'm so confused."

"So talk to me, and maybe I can help you to be a little less confused," Mac said.

"You know I met Josh the last time I came to visit," Chloe said. "We exchanged emails, and phone numbers, and we've been talking almost every day since. We know each other pretty well now," she said. "And even though we've only had a couple of dates since I've been here, it's gotten me thinking about how long you're supposed to wait. What are the rules? How do you know when it's the right time? How old were you, the first time?"

Mac sighed. "I was fifteen, and it was shortly after my mother left. I took a bottle of scotch out of my dad's cupboard, and I went over to a guy friend's house, and we sat in his room, and got drunk, and before I knew it, we were having sex. It was painful, and it wasn't at all enjoyable, and I felt dirty, and used, and sick afterwards."

Chloe's eyes had filled with tears, and she leaned forward and hugged her. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Mac said, kissing the top of her head. "It was a long time ago." She was quiet for a minute, and then she pulled back to look at Chloe. "Sweetie, if a guy _really_ cares about you, he'll wait for you to be ready. When the time is right, you'll know it. If you're afraid, or unsure, then you're not ready. I'd tell you that the best idea is to wait until you find the guy you're going to marry, but I know that probably isn't realistic… though it would save you a _lot_ of heartache. Just… be patient; when the right guy comes along, your heart will know it."

"Like with Harm?" Chloe asked her, grinning.

Mac smiled, nodding. "Like with Harm. It's because I was too scared, and stubborn, to admit it when I first realized it that I ended up allowing myself to get into a lot of wrong relationships, and it caused me a lot of pain and heartache along the way."

"At least you're together, now," Chloe said.

"That's right," Mac agreed. "I can't dwell on the past, because I can't change it one bit. All I can do, is enjoy every minute of the present that I have with him, and our children, and you."

"Mac? Honey? We're home!" Harm's voice called, just before they heard his footsteps on the stairs, and he poked his head through the open door. He saw them sitting on the bed, both of them still a bit teary-eyed, and he looked suddenly wary. "Everything okay?"

Mac smiled at him, nodding. "Fine; just having some girl talk," she replied, grabbing Miranda just before she fell nose first off of the bed trying to get to Harm.

"Dah!" she said excitedly, pointing to him.

"I see," Mac said, as she helped her to get down.

Miranda started moving as fast as her legs could carry her towards her daddy, as Harm met her halfway and scooped her up, causing her to laugh when he blew a raspberry on her tummy. "Dah," Miranda said, leaning forward to give him a kiss. "Uvoo," she cooed, as she hugged him around the neck.

"I love you," Harm said, smiling at her. "Were you a good girl for Mommy?"

Miranda looked at Mac. "Mama," she said, pointing.

Mac winked at her, standing and moving over to them. "She was a very good girl."

"In that case, I have a snack for her downstairs," he said.

"Food!" Chloe exclaimed, hopping up off of the bed. She stopped long enough to hug Mac. "Thanks for everything; it really helped."

"I'm glad," Mac said, kissing her forehead, and letting her go. She watched her hurry out of the bedroom, and sighed.

"Want to talk about it?" Harm asked her.

"Just teenage girl stuff," Mac assured, kissing him. "I love you."

Harm smiled broadly. "I love you, too," he replied. "Why don't I feed Mandy her snack, and get her down for her nap, and we can 'nap' ourselves, after you've fed Chris? I told Mattie that she and Chloe could go to the mall today. I'll even let them have the credit card."

"You're going to let them drive by themselves, _and_ use the credit card?" she asked, surprised.

Harm shrugged. "We bought Mattie the Neon; may as well let her use it. Besides, letting them use the credit card guarantees us a few hours of uninterrupted alone time."

"Oh, so there's a method to the madness; and here I thought you were just mellowing in your old age," Mac chuckled, as she followed him down the stairs.

Harm placed Miranda into her high chair, and then leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Old? I'll show _you_ how old I am."

Mac grinned saucily. "I'm counting on it," she whispered back, before she turned and went back upstairs to finish the laundry, and feed Chris.

**15:17 EST**

**Potomac Mills Mall**

**Woodbridge, VA**

Chloe and Mattie were sitting in the food court eating hot fudge sundaes, when Troy and Josh met up with them.

"So, did you tell your dad that you might meet us here?" Troy asked Mattie, as he gave her a hug.

"Yeah," Mattie said. "Better to warn him ahead of time, than to face his wrath if he finds out later."

Troy laughed. "My dad's like that, too."

He accepted the bite of sundae from her, and then watched Josh and Chloe in a lip lock. "Dude, tone down the PDA."

Josh looked at him, grinning sheepishly. "So, how long can you two stay?"

"We have to stay at least an hour and a half," Chloe said.

"Why an hour and a half?" Troy asked.

"Because it took us almost an hour to get here, so if we stay an hour and a half, and then take another hour to get home, that's a total of three and a half hours," Chloe said. "That gives them time to get both of the babies down for their naps, and do… what grownups do… and then get cleaned up before we get home."

"Ewww…" Troy, Josh, and Mattie groaned as one.

"I try very hard not to think about that," Mattie said. "It's too weird."

"So, what are we going to do?" Troy asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Mattie held up the credit card Harm had given her, smiling. "Shop, of course."

Troy and Josh exchanged longsuffering looks. The things they did to make their girls happy.

An hour later, Troy and Josh both had similar glazed expressions, as they followed the girls into yet another store. They perked up a bit, when they realized that it was a video-game store.

"My dad said we could buy a video game console, and a couple of games, so we have something to do when you guys come hang out tomorrow."

"Sweet!" the boys chorused, as they followed them.

"What should we get?" Chloe asked, as she studied the stuff on display.

"Xbox, totally," Troy said.

"No way!" Josh exclaimed. "PS2 is the bomb."

Mattie and Chloe rolled their eyes at each other, as they listened to the boys' debate over which video game console was the better of the two.

"Do you guys have either of those systems?" Mattie asked.

"I have the Xbox," Troy told her.

"I have the PS2," Josh said.

"Then why don't you bring your systems, and whatever games you have, and we'll just play yours?" Mattie suggested. "Then when we decide which one we like better, we can come back and buy it."

Troy and Josh looked at each other, shrugging.

"Sounds good to me," Josh agreed.

"You might want to look around for some games that appeal to you, to rent or something," Troy said. "I doubt you'll like most of our games."

Mattie and Chloe began perusing the rows of video games for both systems, and then each of them chose one game for each console that sounded interesting to them. Then they paid for them and headed out of the store.

"We'd better head home," Mattie said. "My Mom will pitch a fit if we're late for dinner."

"Mine, too," Troy said, hugging her. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," Mattie said, kissing his cheek.

She looked at Chloe, who was again swapping saliva with Josh, and nudged her. "Let's go."

They said goodbye, and then gathered their bags and walked towards the exit nearest where they'd parked.

"You and Josh better not do that when they're over tomorrow," Mattie warned, on the drive back to Clifton. "Harm will freak out."

Chloe sighed, nodding. "Yeah; you're right."

**11:43 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Next Morning**

"Tell me again why we need two televisions out here?" Harm asked, as he lugged a second TV downstairs and into the living room.

"Because both Josh and Troy are bringing their game consoles over, and we only have one TV in the living room," Chloe said. "It'll be easier to have two TV's, instead of having to constantly switch back and forth between games."

"Why don't you guys just play outside?" Harm asked.

Mattie and Chloe looked at him as if he had two heads, as Mac tried hard not to laugh.

"Harm, they're teenagers," she said.

Harm frowned, still not understanding. Finally shrugging, he looked at the girls. "Need anything else moved?"

"Nope," Chloe said. "Thank you."

"We're taking the babies to the park," Mac told them, "but Lily will be home soon, and we probably won't be gone too long."

"We'll be on our best behavior," Mattie promised.

Mac looked at Chloe, eyebrow raised.

"I promise," Chloe said, looking affronted.

"You'd better," Harm said, but grinned slightly. "Call us on our cell phones if you need us for anything."

After kissing and hugging both girls, Harm followed Mac upstairs to help her get Chris and Mandy ready for their outing. As soon as they were ready, they went downstairs and said goodbye to the girls, and then went out to put the babies into their car seats.

A few minutes later, Josh and Troy showed up with their video game systems, and in no time at all, they had them hooked up and were showing Mattie and Chloe the finer points of video game playing.

They had been playing for about an hour (well, the boys were playing, while the girls were watching), when Lily came in.

"Hey," she said, noting the slightly glazed look both girls wore. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No," Mattie said.

"Why don't you two ladies come and help me make the boys some lunch?" she suggested, smiling at the looks of gratitude both girls gave her.

**12:18 EST**

**Burke Lake Park**

**Burke Lake, VA**

Mac pushed a soundly sleeping Chris in the stroller, while Harm carried Miranda, as they headed towards the playground area in the park. Mac smiled, and waved, when she saw Bud and Harriet, along with their four children, already seated at a picnic table.

"Harm, Mac," Bud said, standing and moving to meet them. "Glad you could make it."

"So are we," Harm said, shaking his friend's hand.

"Buh!" Miranda said happily, reaching for him.

Bud took Miranda from him and smiled when she kissed him. "How are you, sweetie?"

Miranda began to happily babble away, laughing and clapping her hands, and pointing at either Harm, Mac, or Chris. When she was finished chattering, she squirmed to be let down, and Bud set her on her feet.

"Ret!" Miranda said, running as fast as she could towards Harriet, who was now moving towards them, after having finished breaking up an argument between AJ and Jimmy.

Harriet scooped her up, kissing her, and listening to her chatter, encouraging her at various intervals, until she squirmed to be put down again. Then she watched as Miranda scampered over towards the playground equipment to join the other children.

"She's so energetic," Harriet said, as she hugged both Harm and Mac.

"Tell me about it," Mac chuckled, as she picked Chris up out of the stroller, and handed him to Harriet. "And she loves to talk, even though we don't understand most of what she says."

The two women moved off towards the benches closest to the playground, while Bud and Harm took up residence at the picnic table.

Bud handed Harm a bottle of water out of the cooler. "There's a rumor that you're going to have to cut your Family Leave short," Bud said to Harm. "And another that you may be going back to a carrier for awhile."

Harm winced. "Possibly," he said, taking a swig from the water bottle. "The North Koreans are testing nukes, and their birds keep leaving their piece of the sky, so they're talking about sending a special unit out to keep them in their own yard."

"And you'd be part of that unit," Bud nodded. "What does Mac think about that?" He asked carefully.

"She doesn't like it," Harm shrugged, and then sighed. "Hell, Bud, _I _don't like it. But it's my job…"

Bud nodded. "True, but at least you have the option, and the resources, to resign. Not too many officer's can say that."

"The problem is that I'm not sure I want to resign, Bud," Harm said. "Do I like the idea of leaving my family and taking the chance that I might not come home to them? No, of course not. Would I do it willingly, if it meant keeping someone from endangering their lives? In a heartbeat."

Bud smiled sadly. "I know how you feel," he said.

"I know you do," Harm said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Nothing's set in stone yet, so we'll see what happens."

"I'm sure it will all be fine," Bud said.

Harm took a sip of his water, as he watched Mac laughing, as she rubbed noses with Miranda. "I hope so, Bud. I hope so."


	64. Chapter 64

A/N: Wow... what a week! THANK YOU to everyone that has given feedback! It really, truly, is appreciated! The reference to Orange County in this chapter is to Orange County, VA, where there is a small airfield. Google Earth is a wonderful thing... :-) Hubby is still in the hospital, and I've still not fully recovered, but things are getting better slowly. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers! I have three other JAG stories in the works, and am hoping to begin posting them soon, but this story is my priority; I promise! Enjoy...

**17:26 EST**

**Dulles International Airport**

**Two weeks later**

Mac kissed and hugged Chloe goodbye, and then brushed her hair from her forehead. "Call me when you get there, so I know you made it all right."

"I will," Chloe promised. She hugged Harm, and then Mattie, before kissing Miranda and then Chris. "I'll miss you guys."

"We'll miss you, too," Harm said, tweaking her nose. "Behave yourself."

Chloe gave him a wide-eyed innocent look. "Don't I always?"

Everyone chuckled at that, as the call came over the loudspeaker to board Chloe's flight.

"Guess that means I gotta go," Chloe sighed. "I'll see you guys for Christmas?"

"We'll work something out," Harm promised.

Mac hugged her one last time. "Mmm… love you."

"Love you, too," Chloe said, putting her carry-on over her shoulder. "See ya."

They watched her board the plane, and then Harm put his arm around Mac's shoulders, kissing her forehead. "Ready to go?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling at him.

They made their way down to the area where the restaurants were, and Miranda pointed at the Golden Arches above one of them. "Fenfy!" she exclaimed, grinning broadly. She looked up at Harm. "Peeease?"

Harm kneeled down beside the stroller, kissing her auburn curls. "How can I say no to that?" he smiled.

Mac shook her head, laughing. "Oh, she's got _your_ number, flyboy."

Harm stood and shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I'll do anything for my girls," he said, winking at Mattie. "Want anything?" he asked Mattie.

"Can I get a mocha latte?" Mattie asked.

Harm pulled out a ten-dollar bill, and handed it to her. "Knock yourself out," he said, as she thanked him and went towards the Starbucks. He looked inquiringly at Mac. "How about my favorite carnivore? Want anything?"

"A chocolate milkshake would be nice, please," she said.

"What? No meat?" he teased. Mac just gave him a look, and he shrugged. "Coming right up," Harm said, kissing her, and then heading towards the counter to place the order.

Mac pushed the stroller to a table near the outer edge of the food court, and sat down in a chair, smiling down at Miranda, who was bouncing happily. "Daddy went to get you French fries," she told her, pointing towards Harm.

"Fenfy!" Miranda laughed.

Mac laughed, too, brushing the curls from her forehead, and then leaning down to give her a kiss. She looked behind Miranda when she heard Chris begin to fuss, and picked him up, holding him so that she could look into his eyes. "Hi there, big guy," she cooed, smiling when Chris stopped crying and looked up at her. "What's the matter with my boy?" When Miranda reached for Chris, she moved him close enough that she could kiss him, reminding her to be gentle with him.

"'Allo, Sarah," a male voice, with a strong Australian accent, said.

Mac looked up, surprised, to see Mic Brumby standing there, and gave him a small smile. "Hello, Mic," she said. "This is a surprise… are you in Washington on business?"

"Workin' a common case with the American JAG Corps," he said. "I guess we'll be workin' together again."

Mac shook her head. "No, actually, I resigned my commission," she told him. "I'm a full time wife, and mother, now."

Mic, who was clearly surprised, looked at the babies. "The wee ones are yours, then?"

Mac smiled, nodding. "Miranda, and Christopher," she told him. "How are you, Mic?"

"Aright," he replied, and looked up. He really wasn't surprised to see Harm coming towards them, carrying a tray of food.

Harm slowed slightly when he saw Brumby standing near his family, talking to Mac. Giving him a tight smile as he set the tray on the table, he nodded to him. "Brumby, this is a surprise."

"Rabb," Mic replied.

"Fenfy!" Miranda grinned up at Harm, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

Harm grinned down at her, taking one from the container, and, after being sure it wasn't too hot, handed it to her. "Here you go, princess."

"Tay-ooh," she cooed, and began gnawing on it.

"So, how long 'ave the two of you been married?" Mic asked.

Mac glanced at Harm as he handed her the chocolate milkshake she'd requested, and then looked up at Mic. "Just over a year now," she told him. "What about you? Have you married?"

Mic huffed slightly, and then shook his head. "No."

Mac gave him a sympathetic look, and nodded.

"Mom, I got you some of that almond biscotti you like so much," Mattie said, as she joined the group, handing Mac the biscotti, and Harm the change. "Thanks, Dad," she said, indicating her latte. She looked at Mic curiously.

"You're welcome," Harm said, kissing her forehead. "Mattie, this is Commander Mic Brumby," he told her. "Mic, this is our daughter, Mattie."

Mic raised both eyebrows in surprise. "'Allo, Mattie."

"Hello, sir," Mattie said, giving him a nervous smile.

"Well, I s'pose I'll be seeing you at JAG then, Rabb," Mic said.

"You're going to be working at JAG?" Harm asked.

"Temporarily," Mic replied. "We 'ave a case in common with the American Navy, and I'm the liaison."

Harm nodded. "I don't know whether or not we'll see each other," he told him. "I'm on Family Leave, and when I am working, I spend most of my time at the Pentagon now." His cell phone rang, and he gave Mac an apologetic look, as he flipped it open. "Yeah, Captain Rabb," he said, as he moved off to the side to speak to whoever it was.

"Captain, eh?" Mic asked, still eyeing Harm.

Mac smiled tenderly at her husband, and nodded. "Yeah."

They watched Harm for a moment on the cell phone, and then Mic looked down at Mac. "Are you happy, Sarah?" he asked her.

Mac smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Absolutely," she said.

Mic only nodded his head, his expression unreadable.

Harm finished his call and stepped back to the table where his family was. "Mac, sorry, but we gotta go. That was the SecNav; he wants to see me as soon as possible."

Mac sighed, nodded her head, and then smiled again at Mic. "It was good to see you again, Mic," she said, as she put Chris back into the stroller.

Mic smiled tightly, and nodded, as he watched the family leave, his gut tightening when he saw Harm put his arm around Mac's waist, and give her a tender kiss on the temple, and then saw Mac smile radiantly just before she kissed him.

Sighing, he turned around and went to go catch a taxi to his hotel.

**18:42 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Next evening**

Harm squeezed the rubber duck for Miranda, causing her to laugh, and then splash him with the soapy water. "Easy," he said, wiping the water off of his shirt with a towel.

"How's it going?" Mac asked, smiling when Miranda looked up at her and crinkled her nose in a silly grin.

"Mama," she said.

"Hey cutie," Mac replied, kneeling beside the tub, and kissing Miranda's forehead. "Almost done?"

"Just have to wash her hair, and we're all finished," Harm told her.

"Need some help?" she asked him.

"Nah… we're good," he said, grabbing the bottle of baby shampoo.

Miranda saw it, and shook her head. "No, no, no," she told him.

"Yes, yes, yes," Harm said, pouring some of the shampoo into his palm, and then massaging it into her hair. He winced when she squealed loudly in protest. "Miranda Joy," he said sternly. "That's enough."

Miranda looked up at him, her bottom lip quivering.

"You're fine," he said, soothingly. He finished washing her hair, and as soon as he began to rinse it out, she started crying. He looked up at Mac, concerned. "Are you sure this isn't burning her eyes or something?"

Mac grabbed a towel and gently wiped off Miranda's face, and she started to settle almost immediately. "She doesn't like her face wet," she told him. "I don't know why, but she freaks out whenever she gets water on her face."

"Hey, princess," he said, kissing her forehead. "What's wrong with Daddy's girl? Why don't you like your face wet?"

Miranda sniffled, and then blinked at him, her bottom lip still trembling.

Harm pulled the plug on the tub, and then carefully lifted her out of it, placing her in the towel that Mac was holding open. As soon as Mac had her wrapped up, he took Miranda from her and cuddled her close. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

Miranda sniffled again as Harm carried her to her room, placing her on the changing table and drying her off completely. Then he put a diaper on her, dressed her in her pajamas, and combed her hair, before he settled into the rocker with her on his lap, and a book in his hands.

Mac stood in the doorway, watching with a bemused smile as Harm read to Miranda, and then rocked her gently while he sang her a lullaby. When she'd finally drifted off to sleep, he held her so that Mac could kiss her, and then put her in the crib and covered her up.

"Did you feed Chris?" he asked her, as they made their way down the hall towards their room.

"Yeah," she said. "Do you want me to bathe him tonight?"

"No; I've got it," he said, kissing her lips briefly. "You go relax for awhile."

"Thank you," she said. "I'll be out in the garden."

Harm nodded, and then stepped into the master bathroom to clean up after Miranda's bath, before getting everything ready for Chris' bath.

He went back into the bedroom, and lifted his son out of his crib, smiling down at him. "How's Daddy's boy tonight?" he asked him, as he laid him down on the changing table and removed his pajamas. "You're growing so fast," he said, leaning over to kiss his tummy, smiling when Chris laughed. "Don't you know you're supposed to stay little forever?"

Chris grinned up at him, kicking his feet, and waving his arms.

Harm picked him up, kissing his cheek, and then carried him into the bathroom. He placed him on the towel that was on the counter, and removed his diaper, before putting him gently into the baby bath.

Chris' eyes widened, and he shuddered, before he looked up at Harm.

"It's okay, buddy," he said, as he began to move the warm washcloth over him. "You should know the drill by now."

He bathed him quickly, and then lifted him from the bath and put him onto the towel, wrapping him up and drying him off.

Mattie knocked on the doorframe, just as Harm came out of the bathroom and placed Chris onto the changing table.

Harm turned his head, smiling at her. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if Troy could come over for dinner tomorrow night?" she asked him.

Harm looked surprised, turning his attention to diapering and dressing Chris. "That's okay with me, if it's all right with Mac. You two getting serious?"

"We're sixteen," Mattie said, looking at him with an expression that clearly said 'duh'. "How serious can things really get? It's not like we're talking about having sex or anything. I just like hanging out with him."

Harm's head jerked around, and he looked at her with wide eyes. "Mattie!" he exclaimed, shaking his head, as he lifted Chris up and held him up to his chest. "Well, I guess I should be grateful for that."

Mattie laughed, and moved to kiss his cheek, and then she kissed Chris. "I don't want one of these, anytime soon."

"You keep thinking that," Harm nodded, grinning, as he sat in the rocker and began to gently rock back and forth.

"I'm going to go watch a movie in my room, and then head to bed," Mattie told him. "I'll listen for the babies, if you want to go out and sit with Mom."

"Thank you," Harm said. "As soon as I get this little guy down, I'll go out and join her. Love you."

"Love you, too," Mattie said, and then left the room.

Harm sang softly to Chris until he fell asleep, and then kissed his forehead and put him down in the crib, and then headed downstairs to join his wife in the rose garden.

**19:56 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm stood a few yards away, watching Mac as she gently rocked back and forth on the swing, staring out at the fountain in the middle of the rose garden. It still amazed him sometimes, how lucky he was. Smiling, he moved over to the swing, and sat down when she made room for him. Then he wrapped his arms around her, when she laid her head on his shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked, knowing that she often came out here when there was something she needed to think about by herself.

"Mmm, yeah," Mac replied. "Just enjoying how peaceful it is out here."

Harm kissed the top of her head. "It is, isn't it?"

"We really should consider remodeling the house, before it gets too much later in the year," she told him. "Chris is going to need his own room, I'd like Mattie to have her own bathroom, and we need to add at least one guestroom."

"You do realize how much work that's going to be, right?" Harm asked. "We're basically adding on to the entire back of the house, which means moving the patio and the lawn further out, as well."

"Is that a problem?" Mac asked, frowning.

"No… not for a good contractor," Harm replied. "It just means our lives will be in constant uproar until it's finished."

Mac chuckled. "It's been too quiet around here, anyway."

Harm laughed, shaking his head. "And they say _I'm _the reckless one."

Mac grinned up at him, kissing his jaw, before she sighed and closed her eyes. "Seriously, Harm, our house is great, but it just needs to be bigger. We've got the land, and the money, so we should just get it done."

"All right, I'll get someone out here to help us come up with the blueprints for what we want done, and then we can start looking into getting a contractor," he told her.

"Thank you," Mac said. "So, any more news on whether or not you're going to be deployed out to a carrier?"

"No," Harm replied. "And I'm taking _that_ as no news is good news. I have no desire to leave you and the kids, and I've got plenty to keep me busy at work when I go back."

Mac took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Would you consider retiring? Your twenty is up in two months."

Harm was quiet for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his tone was soft. "I've been thinking more and more about it," he answered. "I could retire with full benefits, and we don't really need the money. It would give me time to be with our family… watch our kids grow up… something not many dads have the opportunity to do."

"True," Mac agreed, listening to what he _wasn't_ saying, as much as to what he _was_.

"Mattie was really looking forward to getting Grace Aviation off of the ground again before Tom died… we could relocate to Orange County, maybe change the venue, and get it going together," he mused.

"You could do that," Mac conceded.

"Or I could go into private practice," he said, thoughtfully. "Maybe open a non-profit that helps people that really need legal assistance, but can't afford to go the usual route."

Mac smiled at that. "I can see you doing a lot of good, there," she said, taking his hand, and kissing his fingers.

Harm put his head back and sighed. "I don't know, Mac," he said. "I've been in the Navy my entire adult life…"

"Whatever you decide, Harm, I'm behind you," she assured him. "I would prefer you be home with us, and not out on a ship, or flying a fighter, but I want you to be happy, and I want you to do what you feel is right. Don't make your decision based on what you think I want, because you'll be miserable in the long run, if you do."

"Thanks, Mac," he said quietly. "That means a lot to me."

"I love you, Harm," she said. "No matter what."

"I love you, too," he said, tilting her chin so that he could kiss her tenderly.

They just sat and held one another, comforted by the other's presence, and strength.

**09:22 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**Following Monday**

Harm sighed as he opened another folder on his desk. As predicted, his Family Leave had been necessarily cut short, and he'd been asked to return to full duty this morning. He'd been up to his eyeballs in incident reports from various ships, and was most concerned by the escalating aggression by the North Koreans.

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up. "Enter," he called, surprised when Mic Brumby stepped into the office.

"Captain Rabb," Brumby said, standing at attention.

Harm realized, with a start, that he outranked him now. "At ease," he said. "What can I do for you?"

Brumby handed Harm a folder. "I was told to give this to you, and ask you to give your input on the situation."

Harm took the folder, and opened it. "Have a seat," he said, as he read through the contents.

While Harm read the contents of the file, Brumby sat down in the chair in front of the desk, and looked at the pictures on the bookshelf, and on Harm's desk. He recalled the one of Harm and his father from when he worked at JAG, before. There was one of Harm and his brother, Sergei, taken in Russia, one of Harm and Sarah on their wedding day, and there was one of Sarah, dressed in a skimpy white bikini with navy blue stars, on a beach. The ocean was behind her, and she was soaking wet, smiling provocatively. There was a photo of Harm, Sarah, and a very pregnant young woman that looked vaguely familiar; one of Sarah sitting in a rocker (obviously without a shirt on, though you couldn't see anything you shouldn't), holding a premature baby, with Harm's hand covering hers, as they gazed lovingly at one another; one of Harm and Sarah with their two children, and the Roberts family; one of them with Admiral Chegwidden; one with Harm's parents (he remembered having met them when Harm was in the hospital, after having been lost in the Atlantic, the night of his and Sarah's wedding rehearsal), and one with Chloe, the girl he remembered being called Mattie, Harm, Sarah, and the two babies he'd seen the other day.

Scowling, Brumby tried not to look at them anymore.

"Did AJ give this to you?" Harm asked, when he finished reading the file.

"Don't you mean Admiral Chegwidden?" Brumby frowned.

Harm nodded. "Yeah; sorry. I've gotten too used to having him as a father-in-law, since he adopted Mac," Harm grinned. "I don't see him often when I'm in the office."

"Admiral Chegwidden adopted Sarah?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Harm nodded. "It's a long story. Anyway, as far as this file is concerned, I'll do some research and get back to you."

"Understood," Brumby said, nodding. He stood and came briefly to attention. "If that's all?"

Harm nodded. "Dismissed," he said, watching with a small, satisfied grin, as Brumby left his office, but as soon as he looked at the file again, he frowned in concern, and sighed.


	65. Chapter 65

A/N: Thank you, to everyone, for all of the terrific reviews! They are always appreciated, even if I can't reply personally to each one! Also, thanks for your patience, as it takes me more time than I'd like to get each chapter out. You all rock! Enjoy...

**17:45 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm entered the house through the front door, opening the closet and hanging his cover and uniform jacket in it, before carrying his briefcase to the den. Once he'd set it down, he flipped through the mail sitting on his desk.

"Dah!" Miranda's voice said happily.

Harm looked up, seeing her peeking around the door of the office. "Hey there, princess," he grinned, tossing the mail back on his desk, and kneeling down. He held his arms open for her. "C'mere," he told her, grinning when she ran to him and threw herself into his arms, hugging him around the neck.

"Dah!" Miranda exclaimed again, before she began babbling at him. While he still didn't understand most of what she was saying, he did pick up a few words that he recognized.

He stood, still holding her, and kissed her forehead. "Sounds like you had a busy day," he said.

Miranda nodded, her face serious.

Harm chuckled, and carried her through the living room to the family room.

Mac looked up from where she was cleaning up play dough when they came in, smiling. "She found you, I see."

"Yes she did," Harm said, setting Miranda down and leaning over to kiss his wife. "Have a good day?"

"Hectic, but good," Mac said. "Mattie's at the mall with Troy, and AJ called for you. He said it's important."

He nodded as he moved over to where Chris was in his swing, and knelt down so that he could look at him. "Hey big guy," he said, grinning when Chris smiled at him. "How was your day today?" he asked, lifting him out of the swing and kissing his forehead, before he held him close, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of 'baby'. He opened his eyes, still holding his son close, a pensive look in his eyes.

"Everything all right?" Mac asked, noting the look on Harm's face.

"Not by a long shot, but I'll tell you about it later," he said. "Right now, I just want to be with my family."

Lily came in from the garage, and saw the worried look Mac was giving Harm. "Sorry to interrupt, but dinner is just about ready."

"Thanks, Lily," Harm said, giving her a smile. He looked at Mac, and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry, I promise I'll talk to you about it later on tonight."

Mac gave him a half-hearted smile, and nodded, before going to help Lily get dinner on the table, while Harm went upstairs to change.

They talked about everyday things, like the kids, and how the plans for the remodel of the house was going, while they ate, and then Harm took Miranda up for her bath, while Mac and Lily cleaned the kitchen.

After Mac had fed and bathed Chris, she went downstairs to the family room to look for Harm. Not seeing him, she went into the den. "Here you are," she said softly, entering the office and closing the door behind her. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Harm handed her a file folder, and leaned back while he waited for her to read it.

Mac sat in the chair at her desk, and read through the file, her eyes widening. "Oh my God," she breathed, looking up at him.

"Yeah," Harm agreed. "I spent most of my day in meetings with nearly every bigwig in Washington." He leaned his head back and sighed, before looking at her again. "I'm being sent out to the 'Henry' to lead a special air unit."

Mac bit her lip. "When?"

"Eight days," he told her, and then he shook his head, sighing. "Mac, I've decided that this is going to be my last mission. When I come back, I'm going to file my retirement papers. I haven't decided what I'll do yet, but I can't keep doing this to you and our kids. I may not~ there's always a chance that I won't come back from this last mission…"

"Don't you dare say that," Mac said sternly, frowning. "You're going to come back; you _always_ come back."

Harm stood, pulling her into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, one hand in her hair, and he kissed the top of her head, before placing his cheek there. "Shh… Mac, I know. I don't mean to upset you, but we have to be prepared for any possibility."

Mac nodded, wrapping her arms as tightly around his waist as she could, burying her nose in his chest. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I just can't even think about you not coming back. Not now, when everything is so perfect."

Harm smiled, and kissed the top of her head again. "I know." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, and then pulled away and stared into her eyes. After a moment, he kissed her again, and then picked her up and carried her upstairs to their bedroom.

**18:26 EST **

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**One week later**

Harm looked at his family and friends, gathered around the dinner table, and smiled. He was shipping out to the 'Patrick Henry' the next day, so this was the last time he'd get to see them for awhile. The op was only scheduled to take place for six to eight weeks, but everyone knew that could expand to a longer period of time, depending on how things played out. He looked at each one in turn, his thoughts falling on a random memory of that person, and he'd smile fondly.

"… and there was Harmon, sitting in the toilet, his diaper soaking wet, and screaming at the top of his lungs," Trish said, making everyone laugh.

His mother's voice brought him out of his reverie, and he smiled tightly in embarrassment, and he shook his head slowly. "Thanks, Mom," he said.

Chris began to fuss, and Harm moved to where he was sitting in his swing near the dining table, and lifted him out, kissing him tenderly, and then cradling him in his arms so that he was facing the group, before sitting back down in his chair.

"Cis," Mandy said, pointing at her brother.

"That's right," Harm said, tapping her nose with his forefinger. "This is Chris."

She grinned at him, and leaned over in her high chair so that she could rub her brother's head. "Bay-ee," she said. Then she leaned back in her high chair, and looked up at Harm. "Dah," she said, puckering her lips.

Harm chuckled, and leaned over to give her a kiss. "Love you," he said, using his free hand to brush her soft auburn curls.

"Uv-ooh," she mimicked. She saw AJ and Jimmy move towards the family room, and she pointed towards them. "Dow!"

"You want down?" Mac asked, smiling when she nodded.

Dinner had long since been over, and they'd finished dessert about twenty minutes earlier, and they were all just enjoying one another's company, so Mac stood and took her out of the high chair, moving to the kitchen sink to wash her up, before setting her on the floor.

Harriet and Bud had each grabbed a twin and followed suit.

"Would anyone like some coffee?" Lily asked, as the rest of the adults began to gather dishes, before moving to the family room. As soon as she had everyone's order, she grabbed a stack of dishes and followed Mattie, who'd grabbed the other stack, to the kitchen.

"Mattie, go spend time with your dad," Lily told her. "I'll take care of this."

"Are you sure?" Mattie asked.

"I'm sure," she replied. "Who knows how long it'll be before you get to see him again? Go."

"Thanks, Lil," Mattie said, moving out to the family room with everyone else.

A short time later, Bud and Harriet, Sturgis and Varese, AJ, and Jen, said their goodbyes and left the family alone.

Harm and Mac got the babies down for the night, lingering a bit longer than usual, and then Harm went in and said goodnight to Mattie, before joining his wife, grandmother, and parents downstairs.

"We're going to go," Frank said to Harm. "We just wanted to wait to say goodbye to you."

Harm hugged them all. "Thanks so much for coming," he said. "I'll call you when I get a chance."

"We were happy to come," Trish said, kissing his cheek. "We love you."

"I love you, too," Harm said.

"We're proud of you, son," Frank said. "We'll see you when you get home."

"Be safe, Harm," Grammy said.

Harm nodded, and followed them to the front door, Mac beside him. They watched as they climbed into their rental car, and waited until they'd pulled out of the driveway, before closing the door and locking up.

"We should make sure everything is~" Mac started, but was cut off when Harm pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. When they broke apart, she looked into his eyes, and had to stifle a gasp when she saw the look in his eyes. "Harm?"

Harm pulled her to him again, kissing her passionately. "I need you, Mac," he whispered into her ear.

Mac nodded, and took his hand, leading him up the stairs to their bedroom.

**23:39 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Breathing heavily, and still intimately joined, Harm brushed the sweat-soaked hair from his wife's face and kissed her tenderly, before he hugged her as tightly as he dared. "I don't want to leave you, Mac," he said softly.

Mac's eyes filled with tears, as she clung tightly to him. "I know you don't," she breathed.

Harm pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes, before resting his forehead against hers. "This is the first time I can ever remember not being happy about being sent out to a carrier… especially when I know I get to fly," he said quietly. "I'd much rather be here with you and our children."

"You don't know what it means to me, to hear you say that," Mac said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Harm said, finally rolling them so that they were on their sides, facing each other. He brushed her hair with his palm. "This is killing me."

Mac gave him a concerned look. "Harm, don't do this to yourself; don't let this eat you up. You're going to do what you need to do, because it's who you are… which is part of why I love you," she said. "We'll be able to chat online, and with the webcams Bud setup, we'll be able to see each other; you can see the kids. Not to mention that with the satellite phone we bought, we can talk to each other practically anytime we want to. The time will go by quickly; you'll see."

Harm kissed her tenderly, before hugging her close again, nodding.

"Harm, I've never seen you like this," Mac said, concerned. "What has you so spooked? You've faced situations at least as dangerous as this, before, if not more so."

Harm swallowed, and then sighed. "I have children now, Mac; a son," he said quietly. "The Rabb legacy seems to be to leave our sons without fathers… the idea that our children might have to grow up without me, terrifies me," he said softly.

"Oh, Harm," Mac said, hugging him to her, blinking back tears. "We have to have faith that everything will be okay; it's all we can do. We'll get through this."

Harm nodded, kissing the side of her head. "I know," he murmured. "You're right… I just can't help but worry."

Mac pulled back enough to look into his eyes, her palm cupping his cheek, as she brushed the tears that had fallen from his eyes away with her thumb, and then she smiled softly. "This is a change; usually you're the one brushing away my tears."

Harm smiled at this, and then turned his head to kiss her palm. "I must be getting soft."

Mac shook her head. "No… you've finally learned to let go," she told him.

Harm nodded, as he looked into her eyes, and then he gently pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly. The kiss increased in intensity, and Harm carefully pushed Mac so that she was again lying on her back with him looming over her. "I love you," he told her, just before he kissed her again.

**09:56 EST**

**Dulles International Airport**

**Washington, D.C.**

Harm, attired in his dress whites and carrying his sea bag, stood with his family, waiting for his flight to be called to board. He was holding Miranda, listening to her babble on, and encouraging her with occasional comments. When she'd finally stopped, she rubbed his gold wings, and looked up at him, frowning.

"Go?" she asked.

"Yeah, princess, Daddy's gotta go for awhile," he told her, kissing her forehead. "You be a good girl for Mommy, okay?"

Mandy looked at Mac, and nodded. "Mama," she said.

Harm placed his free arm around Mattie's shoulders, and hugged her. "Let me know how you like school, and don't forget that you need to fax Mr. Arturo copies of your books on the house in Leesburg before the end of the month, so he can double check to make sure everything is okay."

"I know, Dad," Mattie said, rolling her eyes. "I'll take care of it."

Harm smiled, and then kissed her forehead and hugged her again. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you, too," Mattie said, hugging him around the waist, and then taking Miranda from him, once he'd kissed and hugged her, too.

Harm took Chris from Mac, and kissed him. "Be good for your Mommy, tiger," he told him, smiling when Chris laughed, kicking his feet and waving his arms around. He kissed him gently, and rubbed his cheek with his forefinger, before tenderly placing him into the stroller. When he turned to face Mac, his eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Oh, don't go doing that," Mac warned him, trying to laugh. "You'll make _me_ cry."

Harm nodded and smiled, pulling her close to him and kissing her deeply. Then he rested his forehead against hers, and looked into her eyes. "Call me anytime you need to, okay? That's what we got the sat-phone for."

"The same goes for you," she said, smiling at him. "Be careful, flyboy; I expect you to be home for Christmas."

They called boarding for his flight over the loudspeaker, so Harm took a deep breath before kissing and hugging her again, and then he let her go. He picked up his sea bag, and started to walk away, but stopped a few yards away and turned to face them again.

Mattie was holding Miranda, while Mac held Christopher, and they were watching him leave.

Harm snapped to attention and saluted, smiling when Mac did the same, as best as she could with the baby in her arms, and then he turned around and walked towards the gate where the first leg of his flight to the Sea of Japan was waiting for him.

Miranda looked at Mattie, and frowned. "Dah?" she asked, holding her hands, palms up, in front of her.

"Daddy's going bye, bye," Mattie told her.

Miranda inhaled sharply, and looked towards where Harm had just disappeared. "No! Dah!" she said, starting to cry.

"Hey, it's okay," Mattie said, as Mac placed Chris back in the stroller and then took Miranda from her.

"It's okay, pumpkin," Mac told the sobbing toddler. "Daddy will be home before we know it."

"Dah!" Miranda cried again. "No bye, bye!"

"I'm sorry," Mac soothed, trying to keep her own tears at bay. She nodded to Mattie, who started to push the stroller, and they headed out of the airport.

She didn't see Mic Brumby standing a few yards away, with a satisfied grin on his face.


	66. Chapter 66

A/N: I so love all the reviews I've gotten! THANK YOU so very much!! Well, hubby's home from the hospital, and we're both (slowly) on the mend, and life goes on. I'm trying to find a way to wrap up this tale, but inspiration just keeps striking! I hope I'm not beating a dead horse, here. Reviews keep me posting, and they are appreciated! Enjoy...

**11:34 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**One week later**

Commander Mic Brumby stood hiding amongst the trees, watching with a wistful smile as Mac played with Miranda and Christopher in the rose garden.

Mac was sitting on a blanket with the babies, nursing Chris, and watching Miranda eat her lunch. Occasionally, Mandy would hold something up to share with Mac, and Mac would take it from her, smiling when Mandy would laugh.

"Mama!" Mandy would giggle, and then bounce up and down excitedly. She saw a butterfly land on a nearby rose, and she gasped, pointing at it in delight. "Mie," she said, running over to the rose bush.

"Mandy," Mac called, causing the toddler to stop and look at her. "Don't touch, just look. It's pretty."

Mandy nodded, creeping closer slowly, watching the butterfly's wings opening and closing slowly. She looked to her mother with wide eyes, and then looked back at the butterfly again, reaching a small hand out.

"Don't touch," Mac reminded her, smiling when she stopped with her hand mid-air and looked at her.

"Mie?" she asked.

Mac shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not; it belongs outside, where it can fly."

"Dah!" Mandy shrieked happily. "Dah fy!"

Mac smiled, nodding. "Yeah… like daddy flies," she sighed. "C'mere sweetie."

The butterfly chose that moment to lift into the sky, and Mandy watched it with wide eyes, and then laughed and ran back over to Mac. "Fy!"

Mac kissed her daughter's forehead. "Yep; it's a butterfly." She'd finished feeding Chris and had laid him on the blanket, and now was gently rubbing his belly. When she saw that he'd gone to sleep, she stood hunched over with her knees bent, holding her hands out, opening and closing her fingers as she growled at Mandy. "I'm gonna get you!" she said, a big smile on her face.

Mandy squealed, running in a zigzag pattern and laughing, as her mother chased her around on the grass. When Mac caught her, tickling her and making her squeal some more with happy laughter, she put her arms around Mac's neck and kissed her. "Mama!"

Mac set her down, and Miranda copied Mac's earlier actions, curling her fingers and growling. Mac gave a mock-surprised look, and began half-heartedly avoiding her, finally falling to the ground and allowing Mandy to tackle her.

"Oh, no! You got me!" Mac laughed, placing her hands up, palms out. "I surrender!"

Miranda growled again, and laughed, before she sat up and held her hands up over her head. "Fy!" she said.

Mac stood, catching Mandy as she did, and held her over her head, moving her around in circles, while they made airplane noises. "Oh, no! Look out! We're going in for a crash landing!" Mac exclaimed, as she pulled Mandy against her, and rolled to the ground, being sure to protect the child from injury as she did so. She stopped with Miranda lying on top of her again. "Ah! Safe at last!"

Miranda squealed with joy, clapping her hands, and then reaching her hands up again. "Fy, Mama! FY!"

"You are definitely a Rabb," Mac said, shaking her head. "Not even a crash landing can keep you grounded."

"Fy!" Mandy demanded again.

"Not right now… how about a cookie?" she asked, hoping to distract the toddler. It worked.

"Okay," Mandy said, running over to where the picnic supplies were, and pulling a cookie out of the plastic container. She brought one over, and held it out for her mother. "Coo-ee," she said.

Mac took it from her, and smiled. "Thank you."

Miranda nodded her head, and sat on the blanket beside Mac. She'd just taken a drink from her sippy-cup, when the cordless telephone beside Mac rang.

"Dah!" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

Mac shook her head. "I don't think so," she told the girl, picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"How's my beautiful wife?" Harm's voice came over the line.

Mac's eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced at Mandy. "Harm! Is everything okay?"

"Fine," he assured her. "I just needed to hear your voice."

"Well, in that case, I'm good," Mac said, smiling. "The kids and I are having a picnic in the rose garden. I figure it's going to be getting too cold to before much longer, so I thought I'd make good use of this gorgeous day we're having. How's sea life?"

"Lonely," Harm told her. "But so far uneventful, which is fine by me. As long as we don't have anything to do, they'll send us home."

Mac frowned. "That's kind of odd, isn't it?" she asked. "Considering that report you had before you left?"

"Yeah," Harm acknowledged, "but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth."

"Amen to that," Mac agreed.

"Dah!" Miranda said, trying to grab the phone.

"Hold on," Mac told her. "Do you have enough time to say hello to your daughter? She's very impatient to talk to you."

"I always have time for my kids," Harm told her. "Put it on speaker phone."

Mac did as he asked, and held the phone towards Miranda. "Say hi to Daddy."

"Dah!" Miranda said, laughing happily.

"Hello, princess," Harm said. "How's my girl?"

"Dah fy?" she asked.

"Yeah, Daddy gets to fly sometimes," Harm told her. "What have you been doing?"

Miranda babbled for several minutes, and then sighed. "Uv-ooh," she said finally.

"I love you, too, Mandy," Harm told her. "Give Mattie a kiss for me."

Miranda nodded her head, and looked towards the house.

"You have to wait until she gets home from school," Mac told her, turning off the speaker phone, and putting the phone to her ear. "Are you still going to be able to make our web-cam call?" she asked Harm.

"As far as I know," Harm told her. "If that changes, I'll send you an email. How's the remodel on the house coming along?"

Mac looked towards the house, with the construction crews moving about, and rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I'll be glad when it's done. Jared said we might have to move out of the house for a few weeks, while they finish."

"Well, they get a pretty hefty bonus if they finish before it starts snowing," Harm told her. "I imagine that's motivating them. Are you going to stay in a hotel while they finish?"

"I don't know, yet," Mac told him. "The very thought of having to move everything I need just for the babies, not to mention me, Mattie, and Lily, is a bit overwhelming."

"You could go visit my folks," Harm suggested. "They have the nursery already set up, and Mattie and Lily could stay in a hotel close to the school."

"I'll consider it," Mac told him.

"Let me know what you decide," he said.

"Of course," Mac promised.

"I gotta go," Harm said regretfully. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Mac said. "Be safe."

"I will."

They said goodbye, and hung up, and Mac sighed.

Miranda went to Mac, wrapping her small arms around her neck, as Mac held her close. "Dah bye, bye," she said sadly. "Dah fy."

"I know, sweetie," Mac said, brushing Miranda's soft curls with her palm. Chris started to fuss, and Mac looked down at him. She gently set Miranda on the blanket, and began packing their picnic items into the basket, before picking up Chris, and taking Miranda's hand.

Mic Brumby watched her take her children into the house, and then sighed, heading back through the forest to where he'd parked his car.

**12:04 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Two days later**

Mac opened the front door looking harried and exhausted, with Miranda clinging to her right leg and crying loudly, and Chris in her left arm, also crying. She was more than a little surprised to see Mic Brumby on the other side of the door.

"Did I come at a bad time?" he asked, looking chagrined.

"Um… no; no," Mac said, shaking her head. "My housekeeper has the day off, and they both decided they needed me at the same time." The sound of an electric saw, and hammering, in the background caused her to turn her head and sigh. "And we're right in the middle of remodeling our house." She opened the door further, and stood out of the way. "Please, come in."

Mic entered the house, watching as Miranda held her hands above her head, crying to her mother, and held up a couple of bags. "I brought lunch, if you're hungry," he said.

"Up, Mama!" Mandy cried. "Up!"

"Oh, um, thanks, Mic," Mac said, as she readjusted her hold on Chris, and knelt down so that she could wrap her arm around Miranda, and then stood back up holding the toddler. "Shh… it's all right. What's got into you today?" she murmured, kissing her daughter's cheek.

Miranda wrapped her arms around Mac's neck, and laid her head on her shoulder, sniffling, and still crying softly.

Mac indicated that Mic should follow her through the living room into the family room, and she nodded towards the kitchen. "Let me get these two settled; you can set the bags on the counter."

Mic smiled and nodded, doing as she asked. "Do you need any help?" he asked, indicating the two little ones she held in each arm.

Mac smiled tightly. "No, thank you; I've got it." She stood at the foot of the stairs, and looked at him. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she told him, heading upstairs with her crying children.

Twenty-two minutes later, Mac returned, and looked at Mic, who was now sitting on the sofa, flipping through one of the photo albums that had been sitting on the coffee table. "I put them both down for a nap," she told him, taking a seat in the chair near the sofa.

"I brought chicken Caesar salads for lunch," Mic told her. "I put them into the refrigerator, so they wouldn't spoil."

"That was very thoughtful of you," Mac said. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here, Mic?"

"Can't a bloke have lunch with an old friend?" he asked, giving her a hurt look.

Mac gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry, Mic; of course you can. I must admit that I'm surprised you still consider me a friend, the way things ended between us. I never got the chance to properly apologize for that."

"Water under the bridge, luv," he said, and then gave her an apologetic smile. "I mean, Sarah. I'd prefer to let bygones be bygones; a bloke needs all the friends he can get."

Mac nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I'll get our salads, and we can eat. I don't think the kids will sleep long, since the construction will resume once the lunch break is over."

She got the salads, and placed them onto plates, and then poured each of them a glass of iced tea, before taking Mic's out to him, and then returning a moment later with her own. She took a bite, and smiled. "This is delicious, Mic, thank you."

They ate their lunch, and talked mostly small talk, and when they'd finished, Mac cleaned up the dishes and sat down in her chair again.

Mic nodded to the family photo they'd had taken just before Chloe had gone home. "So, Mattie, is it? Is she Harm's child from a previous relationship?"

Mac looked at him, surprised that he would come to that conclusion. "No," she said, shaking her head. She proceeded to tell him, briefly, about how Mattie had come to be their child. "We both love her, very much," she told him.

Mic gave her a small smile, and nodded. He realized that he should probably go, so that she wouldn't become suspicious of his motives. "I'd best be going. Thank you for allowing me into your home, and sharing lunch with me," he said. "It was good to see you again."

Mac smiled at him. "It was good to see you, too, Mic," she said, walking him to the front door. "Take care of yourself."

"You, too, Sarah," he said, and then turned away to walk to his car.

Mac heard the electric saw start up again, and then both babies started to cry, and she sighed. "We've got to get out of this house," she muttered, as she closed the door.

**23:48 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac sat down at the computer at her desk, and signed on to her internet account. She was silently praying that Harm would be online, since he'd not answered the sat-phone when she'd tried to call earlier, so she'd sent him an email to tell him she'd be online around this time.

Opening up the instant messenger browser, she signed in, and waited to see if Harm was on, smiling when the icon for him (a pair of gold wings, of course) popped up as active.

mommyx3 Hey Sailor! Busy?

goldwingdad Never too busy for the love of my life. What's up?

mommyx3 Had a rough day. The remodel is disrupting Mandy's and Chris' sleeping schedules, and they were both cranky all day. I've rented us a three bedroom apartment nearby, until it's done. Is that okay?

goldwingdad Absolutely. Whatever you need to do, for you all to be comfortable. Did Jared give you an estimate on when it'll be done?

mommyx3 At least two more weeks; maybe three. On top of the chaos, I had an unexpected visitor today.

goldwingdad Who?

mommyx3 Mic.

goldwingdad WHAT? What did _he_ want?

mommyx3 Just to visit, apparently. He wants to be friends.

goldwingdad Mac…

mommyx3 Harm…

goldwingdad :sigh: I guess I can live with that, as long as he doesn't get too chummy. I still don't trust that guy.

mommyx3 I know you don't. I don't want to be buddies with him, but if he's making the effort to be civilized, especially after what I put him through, I'm going to play nice. Any word on when you're coming home? I miss you.

goldwingdad Nothing solid, yet. I miss you, too. I can hardly believe how fast the kids are growing… and I'm missing out. As far as Brumby… I trust _you_.

mommyx3 I'm glad you trust me, and I appreciate it.

goldwingdad You need to go to bed; it's late there. Can't sleep?

mommyx3 Hard to sleep when my bed is cold and empty, and I'm all alone. I miss my bed buddy.

goldwingdad Right back at you, baby. At least try to sleep for awhile. For me? I'll worry about you, if you don't.

mommyx3 I'll give it a try. Funny, I haven't had insomnia the entire time we've been together… until now. You're good for me, flyboy.

goldwingdad We're good for each other. Now go to bed Marine, that's an order.

mommyx3 Aye, aye, sir! Love you. Be safe, Harm.

goldwingdad I will. Love you, too; with all my heart.

She signed off, and Mac sighed, powering down her computer, and then closing up the office before she went up to bed.

It was going to be a long night.

**20:14 EST**

**Rabb Apartment**

**Clifton, VA**

**Six days later**

Mac powered up the laptop at the desk in the living room of the apartment they'd rented, and then connected the webcam for their weekly 'visit' with Harm.

Mattie carried Miranda into the room, and took her usual seat, while Lily brought Chris out and handed him to Mac.

"Thanks, Lily," Mac smiled at the young woman.

"No problem, Mac," Lily replied, returning Mac's smile.

The computer beeped, and Mac pushed the button to connect, smiling broadly when she saw Harm's face on the computer screen.

"Daddy!" Miranda squealed happily, clapping her hands, and pointing at the screen.

Harm looked surprised. "She didn't say 'Dah'!"

Mattie grinned. "I've been working with her; she finally got it right a few days ago."

"That's right, princess," Harm said, grinning. "I'm Daddy. Are you being good for Mommy?"

"Mama," Miranda said, pointing at Mac, and nodding her head. "Good."

Mac tenderly caressed Miranda's hair. "Mandy has been very good, especially since we got out of the construction mess at the house."

Harm chuckled, nodding. "Getting some sleep will do wonders," he agreed. "How are you, Mattie?"

"Good," Mattie said, shrugging. "I'm getting mostly A's, and I'll be starting my flying lessons soon. I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Harm said.

"Daddy!" Miranda said.

"What's up, Mandy?" Harm asked.

She babbled for several minutes, and then she looked up at Mattie, and laughed. "Uv-ooh! Bye!"

"Bye, cutie," Harm said, laughing with her. "Be a good girl for Mommy."

Mandy nodded, and then climbed down off of Mattie's lap.

A moment later, they heard Lily say, "Mandy, no!", and then there was a 'crash', and Miranda started crying.

Mattie jumped up. "I'll go help Lily."

"Everything all right?" Harm asked, concerned.

"Mandy keeps climbing up onto things, and they aren't always strong enough to hold her weight. She hasn't gotten seriously hurt, but we have to watch her almost constantly," Mac told him.

Chris giggled, and reached a hand towards the computer screen, waving his arm around.

"That's Daddy," Mac said to him, pointing to the computer. "Say 'hi Daddy'."

Chris laughed some more, while Harm talked to him and made faces at him.

Finally, Harm looked at Mac. "I miss you, Mac," he told her. "You doing okay?"

Mac nodded slowly. "I'm fine; I miss you, too."

"I need to go, we have a mission to run tonight, and I need to get some sleep," Harm told her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said. "Be safe."

"I will," he replied. "I'll call you after my mission."

"No matter what time it is," Mac insisted. "Even if it means waking me up."

Harm winked at her. "Promise."

Mac waited until the computer screen went blank, and then she sighed, shut down the laptop, and then kissed Christopher.

It was time to put the little ones to bed.


	67. Chapter 67

A/N: Finally got the kinks worked out of this chapter! As always, I _really_ want to thank everyone that has submitted a review~ it means more to me than words can express when I see them, and it keeps me motivated to keep writing! Enjoy…

**12:03 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**One week later**

Mac walked into JAG headquarters carrying Chris, and holding Miranda's hand, and smiled at the bustle of activity in the office. She realized that other than a few people, she didn't recognize most of the faces that were now scurrying about the office.

Bud looked up from his place at the copy machine where he was talking to a young lieutenant, and smiled broadly. "Mac!" he exclaimed. "How are you?"

Mac returned Bud's exuberant smile, allowing him to take Chris from her. "I'm fine, Bud, how are you?"

"I'm good," he said, making faces at Chris, and smiling when the baby would laugh.

"Buh!" Miranda said impatiently, holding her hands up.

Bud looked down at her, smiling, and kneeled as carefully as he could with his artificial limb, to give her a hug and a kiss. "How's Mandy today, huh?"

Miranda giggled, kissing his cheek and babbling to him for a few minutes. Then she went back over and took Mac's hand, looking up at her and laughing.

Bud and Mac laughed, too, and he noticed the lieutenant he'd been talking to giving them a curious look, and smiled. "Lieutenant Wells, this is former Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie; she used to work here. And these are her children, Miranda and Christopher. Mac, this is Lt. David Wells. He's one of the new lawyers on staff."

"It's a pleasure, ma'am," he said, shaking her hand.

"Mine, too," Mac said. She glanced around her. "It's busier in here than I've seen in awhile."

"There's a lot going on," Bud told her. "The Admiral has been giving out new assignments all morning. I suppose you're here to see him?"

Mac nodded. "Yeah, Dad, the kids, and I, are supposed to have lunch this afternoon. I hope nothing's happened to change our plans," she said, taking Chris back from Bud. "Tell Harriet I'll call her later."

"I will," he promised, watching her and the kids walk towards the Admiral's office.

"She's the Admiral's daughter?" Lt. Wells asked, surprised.

"One of them," Bud said, not feeling the need to explain about the adoption.

"I suppose she's married, since she has two little ones?" he asked.

Bud looked at him. "Captain Rabb is her husband," he told the young man, "and he's fiercely protective of his family."

Lt. Wells heard what _wasn't_ being said, and snapped to attention. "Understood, sir."

Bud nodded, smiling. "Carry on, Lt."

Lt. Wells nodded once, and went back to his office.

Mac entered Jennifer's office, smiling when the young woman stood and moved around her desk to say hello, and see the babies.

Jen knelt down to Miranda's level, and tugged on the dress she was wearing. It was an adorable navy blue jumper, with pink roses embroidered on it. She had a long-sleeved pink t-shirt on underneath it, and was wearing pink ankle socks with lace trim, and black patent leather shoes. "Don't you look pretty today?" she asked her. "And I really like the pigtails," she said, lightly touching the auburn curls on either side of her head. "How is Mandy today?"

Mandy's eyes widened, and she gasped, and then began babbling away to her, pointing at her mother, or Chris, or off somewhere else every now and then. Occasionally she would stop her narrative and laugh, and when she was done she looked at Jen with a small smile and sighed. "Daddy bye, bye," she finally said. "Daddy fy."

Jen gave her a sympathetic look, nodding. "I know sweetie," she said.

Miranda gave her a hug, kissed her cheek, and then gave her a hopeful look. "Pen?"

Jen looked at Mac for help. "Um…"

"Not right now," Mac told her. "In a little while, okay?"

"Okay," she said, letting Jen go.

Jen laughed and stood, tickling Chris' tummy, and giving him a kiss on the forehead. "You're such a cutie," she told him. "And you look more and more like your daddy everyday." Standing back up, she looked at Mac. "I'll check and see if the Admiral is ready for you, Ma'am," she said, moving back to her desk.

Mac laughed. "Jen, how many times have I told you I'm retired? Call me Mac."

"Yes, Ma'~ uh, Mac," Jen laughed. She picked up the phone, and called into the Admiral's office. "Sir? Mac and the kids are here to see you. Yes, sir."

She hung up the phone, and looked at Mac. "He said to go right in… he sounds kind of stressed."

"Thanks, Jen," Mac said, taking Miranda's hand and leading her to the Admiral's door, knocking once, and then opening it. She took Miranda's hand again and led her in, and then closed the door and looked at her adopted father, and sighed.

"I thought you were going to retire?" Mac asked, after she'd closed the Admiral's office door. "You look like hell."

"Mm-pah!" Miranda squealed happily, running over to his desk, and throwing herself into his open arms. "Uv-ooh."

"Mmm… how's Grampa's girl today?" he asked, hugging her, and accepting her kiss on his cheek. He looked up at his adopted daughter, and sighed. "It's been a hell of a morning," he told her.

"Pen?" Mandy asked him.

He waited until Mac had taken a seat, giving Mandy a pen and a blank piece of paper to draw on, and then he looked at her seriously.

"The North Koreans attacked a fighter squadron this morning," he told her. "It wasn't Harm's, but his squad had to launch shortly after the attack to lend air support. I haven't heard anything yet, but you'll be the first to know when I do."

Mac took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, nodding. "Thank you." She opened her eyes and looked at him again.

"You all right?" he asked.

Mac gave him a tight, sad smile. "Yeah. I know how this works, remember?"

He returned her smile, and nodded. "You still want to go to lunch, or should we order something in? Jennifer offered to go get us something."

"I'd rather go out, if that's okay with you," Mac said. "You probably should get out of this office for awhile, anyway. We just have to find someplace that serves F-R-E-N-C-H F-R-I-E-S," she spelled out, looking at Mandy.

AJ laughed. "We can do that," he said, taking the pen from Miranda, and standing, holding her in his arms. "Let's go bye, bye, shall we?"

Mac stood, catching Christopher's teething ring when he dropped it, and handing it back to him, kissing his forehead when he grinned at her. "Right behind you."

**12:46 EST**

**Elevation Burger**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac set Chris in one high chair, and Miranda in another, before taking her seat across from AJ. Mandy was bouncing up in down her high chair chanting 'Fench fy, Fench fy," and Chris was still happily slobbering all over his teething ring.

They decided on what they wanted, and then AJ went up to order for them, returning a few minutes later with milk for Miranda, coffee for him, and a diet soda for Mac.

He watched as Mac poured Miranda's milk into her sippy cup, and handed it to the toddler, smiling when Mac warned her to drink it, not play with it.

"Fench fy?" she asked him, holding her open palms out in front of her, and giving him the cutest questioning look.

"In a few minutes," he told her. "They have to cook it first."

"Ohhhh," she said, turning as far as she could in her high chair to look at the people behind the counter. Then she turned back to face them, and sighed.

Mac and AJ laughed, and Mac got out a jar of baby food to start feeding Chris.

"How is the remodel coming along?" AJ asked.

"Better than I expected it to," Mac replied, using the spoon to scoop strained carrots from Chris' chin, and putting it into his mouth. "We were supposed to have it done almost a year ago, but then I ended up in the hospital, and it got postponed. I'll be glad to have the extra space when it's all finished."

"How much longer do you have to stay at the apartment?" he asked. "It's got to be pretty crowded with the five of you."

Mac shrugged. "It's not too bad. Mandy and Chris sleep in my room, and Mattie and Lily have their own rooms; we make do for now. I think it's easier on all of us, knowing that it's only temporary. The contractor promised less than two weeks, but we'll see."

Their order number was called, and AJ stood to go get it. When he returned and set the tray on the table, he had to grab Miranda's hand as she reached for a French fry. "They're hot," he warned. "Wait a minute."

Mandy nodded her head, and placed her elbows on the table, putting her chin in her open palms, and staring at the French fries, sighing loudly.

"She's something else, isn't she?" AJ asked, grinning at Miranda.

"Oh, yeah; she can be quite the little drama queen when she wants to… but it's so cute most of the time, she gets away with it," Mac told him, shaking her head. "I figure as long as she isn't being disobedient, or endangering herself or anyone else, it's okay."

AJ nodded, setting Miranda's chicken nuggets, and a couple of French fries, on a napkin in front of her. "Hot," he reminded her, before taking a bite of his burger.

Mac had finished feeding Christopher, and quickly wiped him down with a baby wipe, before starting in on her own food. "Is Francesca going to make it for Christmas?" she asked around a mouthful of teriyaki burger.

"I don't know for sure yet," AJ told her. "She's finishing up a show in Paris, and then they have to go to London. If they finish in London on time, she'll be here, otherwise, she probably won't make it." He took a drink of his coffee. "Her mother wants to come with her," he said.

Mac raised both eyebrows at this. "Oh? Did she say why?"

He shook his head. "I didn't really ask 'why'."

Mac cocked an eyebrow at him. "How do you feel about her coming?"

"Apprehensive, but cautiously optimistic," he said, smiling.

Mac chuckled, shaking her head. She was about to take another bite of her burger, when Mic walked up to their table.

"Sarah; Admiral," he said by way of greeting. "Fancy meetin' you here."

"Commander Brumby," AJ said. "It is a coincidence."

"May I join you?" he asked.

AJ looked at Mac, who nodded her approval. "Have a seat, Commander."

Mic sat on Mac's right side.

"Fench fy," Miranda told him, holding one up for him to see, and grinning.

"She really likes those things, doesn't she?" he asked Mac. "I believe Harm had just gotten her some when I ran into you at the airport."

Mac smiled at her daughter, and accepted a bite of French fry from her. "Yeah; currently they are her favorite food, but Harm is convinced he can change that."

"How is Harm?" Brumby asked.

"Homesick, but otherwise doing well," Mac told him, taking another bite of her burger.

Miranda stuck a French fry in her brother's face, causing him to fuss.

"No, Mandy," Mac told her gently. "Chris is too little for French fries; but thank you for sharing with him."

Miranda grinned at her, and nodded, stuffing it into her mouth. "Mama," she said. "Uv-ooh."

Mac leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you, too."

Mic smiled at the sight. "She's adorable, Sarah," he said. "She looks just like you, too."

Mac exchanged a look with AJ, and smiled. "Thank you, Mic." She had finished her burger, and was just about to start on her own fries, when a commotion at the counter got her attention.

"Turn it up!" someone at the counter called, indicating the television on the wall.

All eyes turned towards the TV.

"This is a ZNN special report," the announcer said. "Stuart Dunston is live from the Sea of Japan, where just a short time ago, the North Koreans launched, what is believed to be, a nuclear weapon at a squadron of American Naval fighter pilots. Stuart, what's the situation out there?"

Stuart Dunston's face appeared onscreen, standing on the deck of a carrier, the wind whipping his hair around. "Well, Lydia, we don't have all of the facts yet, but just a couple of hours ago, North Korean fighter planes allegedly entered the 'no fly' zone, and attacked a squadron of American Naval pilots. Two of our planes were shot down in the skirmish, and more fighters were deployed to assist their fellow aviators. That's when, it's believed, that North Korea launched a guided nuclear missile at the American pilots. One of the pilots, who hasn't been identified yet, used his own plane to divert the missile away from the others, and was last seen leading the missile out to the open sea about half an hour ago. A few minutes after he broke away from the rest of the squadron, all contact with the pilot was lost, and the crews of both aircraft carriers, as well as his fellow pilots, are all waiting anxiously for any communication from him. I was informed a few moments before we went on the air, that if they haven't heard anything in fifteen more minutes, a search and rescue operation will be launched. We'll keep you up to date as we receive more news. Stuart Dunston, out."

The screen went back to the newsroom, and the people behind the counter turned the TV down.

AJ looked at Mac, who was now as white as a sheet. "Mac… we don't know that it was him," he said.

Mac nodded, silently gathered up all of the trash onto the tray, and stood. She dumped the trash into the trashcan, put the tray on the shelf above it, and then suddenly leaned over the trash can and lost her lunch.

AJ jumped up and rushed to her side, as did Mic. Taking her left hand in his, and placing his right hand on the small of her back, AJ led her back to the table, where Mic pulled out her chair and they helped her into it. He could feel how badly she was shaking, and knew she needed to pull herself together.

Mic handed her a glass of water, which she took a few sips from, her hand shaking enough to make it a bit difficult.

Handing the glass back to Mic, she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, focusing on her husband. "We need to get back over to the office," AJ told her. "I can start trying to get some solid answers from there."

Mac nodded, and looked at Miranda, who was watching her with wide, scared eyes.

"Mama ick?" she asked.

Mac forced a reassuring smile for her child, and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, baby, Mama's sick. I'll be okay, though, all right?"

Miranda puckered up, and waited for Mac to lean down for her to kiss her. "Beh-er?"

This time, Mac's smile was genuine. "Much better," she said, lifting her out of the high chair and hugging her close. "That's my girl."

AJ had picked up Chris, and gathered the diaper bag, and he nodded to Mac. "Let's go, shall we? Commander, you'd better meet us in my office as soon as you get back," he told Mic. "This situation is bound to get worse, before it gets better."

Brumby nodded, watching Mac with concerned eyes. "Aye, sir," he said. "I'll be right behind you."

AJ nodded, as Mac grabbed her purse, and they left the restaurant.


	68. Chapter 68

A/N: I can't thank you all enough for the wonderful responses to this story!! You all are so awesome! I have to tell you that it, really, truly keeps me motivated to keep writing, and that it is appreciated more than words can express!! Harm should be back in the next chapter (unless my muse has other ideas!). Enjoy!

**14:52 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Mac's cell phone rang and she glanced at the caller ID, and immediately answered. "Trish? Yeah, it's Mac," she said, glancing at Miranda who was sleeping soundly on the Admiral's sofa, and then at Chris, who was sleeping on a blanket on the floor.

"Mac, dear, I received your message," Trish said. "Does it have something to do with what's been on the news? It's Harmon, isn't it?"

Mac took a deep breath. "So you have seen the news," she sighed. "We haven't heard much, but I can tell you that Harm's squadron was the secondary group of fighters that they're talking about. They went up to help out the ones that were under attack."

"And the missing pilot? It's him, isn't it? That's why you're calling?" Trish asked.

"We don't know," Mac told her, honestly. "We don't know who the pilots are from the first squad that died, and we don't know who the pilot is that misdirected the missile, and is now missing. Dad is trying to get some answers, but communication is sketchy right now."

"Do you think it's Harmon?" Trish asked.

Mac sighed. "Yeah," she said softly. "I do. After all, he's done this before, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did it again."

"What do you mean he's done this before?" Trish asked.

"He never told you?" Mac asked, not sure if she should be upset with herself for saying anything, or if she should smack her husband the next time she saw him for not telling his mother about the incident.

"He doesn't often tell me about what he does," Trish replied. "I think he thinks he's protecting me."

"Probably," Mac agreed. She briefly explained the situation the last time Harm had gotten himself between a nuclear missile and its intended target, and what had happened. "It all worked out last time, but I'm not sure how much longer his luck is going to hold out. I really hope Harm Sr. is watching over his son, because he definitely needs a guardian angel right about now."

"I've always believed that Harm Sr. was the reason my son has lived as long as he has," Trish said. "Not many people have the kind of luck he seems to possess. Would you like us to come to Washington?"

"You're more than welcome," Mac told her. "But don't feel obligated to. After all, we still don't know what the situation is."

Admiral Chegwidden's phone rang, and he answered it, looking at Mac and nodding, waving her over.

"Trish, hold on, Dad just got a call… it may be news about Harm," Mac told her. She moved over to AJ's desk, and listened in to his side of the conversation.

"I see, yes. His wife is here with me now, and she has his mother on the phone; how is he? Uh, huh. No, no, I understand. How long? All right. Thank you for calling; I'll relay the news," he said. Disconnecting the phone, he looked at Mac. "Do you want to put Trish on speaker phone so she gets the news first-hand?"

"How bad is it?" Mac asked, covering the phone.

"Not as bad as it could have been, but bad enough," he replied. "He'll be at the San Diego Naval Hospital within the next forty-eight hours."

Mac nodded, and moved her hand. "Trish? Sorry… looks like we're coming to you. I'm putting you on speaker phone, so you can hear what Dad says when I do."

"Thank you, dear," Trish said, bracing herself.

Mac clicked the button, and nodded to AJ.

"How are you Mrs. Rabb?" AJ asked.

"AJ, I've told you to call me Trish," her voice came over the speaker.

AJ smiled. "All right, Trish," he said, indicating to Mac that she needed to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. As soon as she complied, he took the other one.

"It was Harm that led the missile away from the two squadrons," he told them, seeing Mac tense, and hearing the strangled noise Trish made. "He led it about a hundred miles out into the open ocean, and did a nose dive straight down, firing chaff just before he pulled up, and took off like a bat out of hell. Fortunately for Harm and his RIO, it worked, and the missile hit the water, exploding a few seconds after impact. Their plane was hit by the subsequent shockwave, which sent it spinning out of control, and also started the plane on fire." He paused when Mac gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, eyes wide.

Mac swallowed, and nodded for him to continue.

"The RIO punched out first, and Harm wasn't too far behind," he said. "The rescue helo picked them up within a few miles of one another. They found Harm first, and the RIO shortly after. His RIO, Lt. Kevin Parker, was fine, other than being soaked and shaken up. Harm has second and third degree burns… they didn't say where, or how bad; he also has a broken leg, and he dislocated his shoulder. They were stabilizing him when I spoke to the Skipper, so they can get him on the helo that's going to take him to MCAS Futenma, in Okinawa. He'll be loaded onto a plane, and flown to San Diego Naval Hospital from there; he should arrive within the next forty-eight hours."

"Trish, the kids and I will be there as soon as I can get packed, and get the plane ready; I have to find someone to pilot it. I'll call you as soon as I know when we'll be there," Mac told her. "If you need us to stay in a hotel~"

Trish cut her off. "Absolutely not! I'll start getting things ready for your arrival. We have a crib here, but I'll run out and get another one, and I'll get rooms ready for Mattie, and Lily… I'm assuming she's coming with you?"

"I'll give her the option," Mac said. "Mandy can use a toddler bed, you don't have to buy a crib for her; I bought her one that looks like a little pink castle, and she loves it. Don't put yourself to any trouble, Trish, I can take care of whatever needs to be done when I get there."

"It's no trouble, dear," Trish told her. "I'll talk to you, soon."

"Thank you; talk to you, later on," Mac said. They said 'goodbye', and Mac hung up the phone, looking at AJ. "Know any pilots that can fly us to San Diego?" Mac asked. "I have a Cessna, but no one to land it. Mattie can fly it, she just isn't licensed to land yet."

"I'll make some calls and let you know," he told her. "You head home and get everyone ready to go, and I'll call you."

"Are you coming?" she asked him.

"If I can get away, yes," he told her. "If not, I'll be there as soon as I can."

Mac stood, and turned around, looking for the diaper bag, and her purse, and muttering quietly to herself about what needed to be done. She started when AJ came up to her, and pulled her in for a hug. "This is the last time," she said softly. "He promised; this is the last time."

"Good," AJ murmured, brushing her hair with his palm, and kissing her forehead. "I'm going to hold him to it."

**19:31 EST**

**Orange County Airport**

**Orange, VA**

Mac parked her Pacifica in the parking spot near the hangar designated for them, and climbed out, looking over at Lily. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she told her. "I want to meet the pilot, and make sure everything's ready for us."

"We're okay, Mac," Lily said. "Take your time."

"Can I come with you, Mom?" Mattie asked.

Mac nodded. "Come on."Mattie climbed out, and followed Mac into the hangar.

A man came up to her, and looked her over briefly. "Mrs. Rabb?" he asked.

"Yes," Mac said. "I'm Sarah Rabb; are you our pilot?"

"No, ma'am," he said. "I'm Alex Wright, the manager here at the airfield. Your pilot is out checking over your plane. I told him that our mechanics checked it over very thoroughly, but he insisted that he had to check it out himself."

That made Mac feel infinitely better, and she sighed in relief, nodding. "How long before we can take off?" she asked. "I have to call my mother-in-law and tell her when to expect us to arrive."

"Your flight is scheduled for take-off at 20:00," he told her. "Your flight should take about five to six hours, but with the time difference, you'll arrive around 22:00 hours, Pacific Standard time."

"Thank you," Mac said politely, resisting the urge to tell him that she was well aware of how the time differential worked… her internal clock made sure of that.

"Here comes your pilot, now," Mr. Wright said.

Mac turned around to greet their pilot, and her jaw dropped in shock. "Jack?!" she exclaimed in surprise, hugging him when he was close enough. "_You're_ our pilot?"

"Yeah," he said, putting his arm around her waist, and leading her away from where Mr. Wright was standing, watching them with interest. "Admiral Chegwidden called Headquarters, to see if there were any pilots available to fly Harmon Rabb's family to San Diego, and I volunteered." He looked at her, turning serious. "What happened, Sarah?"

Mac quickly went over what little they knew, and took a deep breath. "So I'm flying with Lily, who is our housekeeper, but has become a member of the family, and our children, so that we can get to his parents' house to see him when he arrives at San Diego."

"Where are your kids? I've seen the pictures Hammer's sent, but I'm dying to meet them," he said, glancing at Mattie. "I know from the photos that this is your eldest." He smiled at her, and held out his hand. "Jack Keeter," he said. "Your dad and I go way back… and I know your mom, too," he said, winking at Mac.

Mac gave him a tired smile, as Mattie shook his hand. "Jack, this is Mathilda Grace Rabb... Mattie. Mattie has been taking flying lessons in our plane, but she hasn't been certified to land, yet."

"Gonna be a pilot like your old man, huh?" he asked, smiling broadly. "Sweet."

"Yes, sir," Mattie said. "My biological parents were both pilots, and now my adopted father is one, too. I've wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember."

Jack smiled and winked at her. "Good for you."

"I need to go get Lily and the babies, if we're going to take off on time," Mac told him.

"I'll give you a hand," he said, following her around to where her car was parked.

Mac saw Lily climb out of the car as soon as she realized they were coming.

Lily grabbed the keys out of the ignition, and opened the back so that they could get their luggage. She had just finished pulling the last item out, and had closed the back, when Mac, Mattie, and Keeter arrived.

Mac quickly introduced Lily and Keeter, and then opened the door to the backseat, helping Miranda out of her car seat, and then lifting Chris out of his. "Mandy, get back over here," she said to Miranda, who was already heading away from the car.

Miranda stopped and looked at her mother, and slowly moved back to stand beside the car. "Go bye, bye?" she asked.

"Yes, we're going bye, bye," Mac told her. "But you have to stay here with Mommy until we do." She pointed at Keeter, and smiled reassuringly at her daughter. "Mandy, this is Uncle Jack; say 'hello'."

"Hi!" she said, smiling up at him, and waving.

Jack kneeled down to her level, and tugged lightly on her dress. "Hello there, cutie," he said. "You are absolutely adorable." He looked at Mac as Miranda hugged him around the neck, and kissed his cheek. "You'd never guess she's adopted, Sarah," he said, obviously surprised. "She looks just like you!"

Mac smiled, nodding. "I hear that a lot, and I'm actually glad for it. Should we bring the car seats?"

Jack nodded, disentangling himself from Miranda, and standing. "Wouldn't be a bad idea; I imagine they'll sleep better if they're in them." He moved over to get a look at Christopher, and shook his head when the baby boy smiled at him. "Christ, Sarah, he looks just like Hammer."

Mac smiled again, nodding her head. "Oh, yeah; no doubts about who his father is." She handed Chris to Lily, and unbuckled both of the kids' car seats, handing them to Jack. "Can you put these on the plane for me? I think we can get everything else… we'll be right there."

"No problem," he said. "See you in a minute."

He turned away and strode towards the plane, as Mac, Mattie, and Lily gathered everything together, and made their way to the plane that would take them to California.

They quickly loaded everything on board, securing the car seats and then strapping the little ones into them, before taking their own seats.

Jack came back to make sure everything was secure, and looked at Mattie. "Think you're awake enough to be my co-pilot?"

Mattie looked at Mac. "May I?"

Mac smiled at her, nodding. "Go ahead." She caught Jack's wink, just before he turned around and led Mattie to the cockpit.

"He's really nice," Lily said.

Mac glanced at her, and noticed the way Lily was watching him. Grinning, Mac nodded her head. "He's a good man," she told her. "But he's also a pilot, which means he comes inbred with a major ego… I think it's part of their DNA."

Lily chuckled, as the plane began to taxi to the runway.

In less than ten minutes, they were on their way to California.

**00:32 PST**

**North Island NAS Halsey Field**

**San Diego, CA**

Mac looked at Keeter as they were unloading the plane, and a Navy-use sedan pulled up. "How in the world did you get clearance to land here?" she asked him.

"Your husband is a pilot who nearly died saving a _lot_ of people, your adopted father is a three~ oh, wait… I forgot: he got promoted~ _four_ star Admiral… it wasn't as hard as you might think," he said, accepting a sleeping Miranda from Lily.

Mac gave him a rueful smile, and nodded. "Okay, okay… but I was planning on renting a car to get us to Frank and Trish's house. I can't do that from a Naval base."

"Taken care of, my dear," he told her. "Your new dad went to a lot of trouble to make sure that you and your family are well taken care of. But don't tell him I told you that."

A young Petty Officer stepped out of the car, and snapped to attention. "Petty Officer Yee to take you to your vehicle Colonel Rabb, ma'am!" he said.

Mac looked at the young man, and sighed. "Petty Officer, I'm retired now," she told him. "Call me Mac, or Mrs. Rabb if you must, and relax… please."

The PO relaxed immediately, smiling shyly at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Rabb. May I help you load your things into the car?"

"That would be very kind of you," Mac said, looking at Lily and Mattie. "Why don't the two of you go ahead and get into the car with the kids? The breeze coming off the ocean is a bit chilly."

Mattie, who was holding Chris, nodded and climbed in first, scooting to the middle of the back seat. A moment later, Lily, who had taken Miranda from Jack again, got in behind the passenger's seat.

Mac, PO Yee, and Jack, loaded the stuff from the plane into the trunk of the car, and then Mac got into the backseat behind the driver's seat, while Jack took the front passenger's seat.

They drove from the airfield to the entrance to the base, and Mac was surprised to see Frank and Trish standing beside a dark blue minivan. When the car came to a stop, she climbed out and went to hug her in-laws, and looked at Frank. "Where did this come from?" she asked, indicating the van.

"I bought it for when you, Harm, and the kids come out," he told her.

"Oh, Frank," she said, hugging him. "You shouldn't have gone to any trouble."

"It was no trouble," he assured her. "Besides, I get a pretty decent discount," he smiled, giving her a wink.

Mac tiredly returned his smile, as she accepted Miranda's car seat from PO Yee, and quickly installed it into the middle of the rear bench seat, and then took Miranda from Lily and carefully put her into it.

She installed Chris' car seat into the middle of the center bench seat, and took him from Mattie, gently strapping him in.

PO Yee had loaded their things into the back of the minivan, and quietly shut the door, so as not to wake the babies. He snapped to attention, and then nodded to Mac. "Will there be anything else, ma'am?"

Mac smiled at him, shaking his hand. "No, thank you. I really appreciate all of your help."

"My pleasure, Mrs. Rabb," he said. "When you see your husband, tell him 'thank you' from all of us here at NAS North Island, please?"

"I will, thank you," Mac said, and then stood at attention and saluted the young man, nodding to him when he did the same, relaxing as he climbed back into the sedan and drove away. "I think they get younger every year," she murmured to the others.

Jack tilted his head towards her in agreement, and then shook Frank's hand, and accepted Trish's hug. "It's good to see you both again, Mr. and Mrs. Burnett, but I wish it were under better circumstances. If it isn't any trouble, would you mind dropping me at the local Best Western? I need to get some sleep."

"Jack," Trish chided, "first of all, we've told you many times over to call us Frank and Trish, and second, there is no way I am letting you stay in a motel, when we have more than enough room for you at the house. Now, it's very late, the children are asleep, and I'm sure we'd all like to get some rest as well… shall we go?"

Frank looked at them. "You heard the lady," he said.

They all piled into the van, and in a few moments, they were on their way to the Burnett's home in La Jolla.

When they arrived forty-seven minutes later, they quickly got everyone settled into their rooms, with Mac in the room she and Harm had stayed in more than a year prior, and the babies' sleeping in the nursery next door. She had been pleasantly surprised to find that Trish had managed to find a toddler bed exactly like the one Miranda now slept in at home; it would make waking up in a strange place a bit easier for the little girl.

Mac made sure the connecting door between the two rooms was cracked open so she could hear the kids, and then climbed into the big bed and turned onto her side, hugging one of the pillows to her. The last fourteen hours finally caught up to her, and she began to sob, until she finally fell into an exhausted sleep.


	69. Chapter 69

A/N: THANK YOU!!! for the great feedback! Things have been horrible in my life right now, and to be perfectly honest, the only thing that has kept me from putting a bullet through my skull has been the fact that I promised to finish this story~ and your reviews keep me doing that! (Don't worry~ I'm going to be seeing a therapist soon to help me better cope.) This chapter is a lot longer than I'd initially planned, but I didn't want to break it up. I have a half dozen other JAG fics in the works, two of which I'm almost ready to start posting, but this one is my baby, so it takes priority! Enjoy...

**08:22 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

"Mama?" Miranda said softly, touching Mac's face with her palm. "Mama?"

Mac opened her eyes and looked at Miranda, taking a deep breath as her internal clock caught up with her. She smiled reassuringly at her daughter. "Hi, sweetheart," she said, wrapping her arms around her when Mandy moved to hug her. "Did you sleep okay?"

Mandy nodded against her mother's neck, and then sat up beside her on the bed and looked around her curiously.

"We're at Gramma Trish and Grampa Frank's house," Mac told her. "Come here, I want to show you something really pretty."

She stood and lifted the toddler into her arms, moving to the large windows, and opened the blinds. Then she pointed out the window at the view of the ocean. "Look, Mandy."

Mandy looked out of the window and gasped, her mouth and eyes wide. She pointed out the window and looked at Mac. "Wadat?"

Mac smiled at her, kissing her cheek. "That's the ocean," she told her.

"Wawer?" Mandy asked.

Mac nodded. "Yep. Lots and _lots _of water."

Mandy laughed happily, clapping her hands. "Wawer!"

There was a light knock on the door between her room and the nursery, and Trish poked her head in. "Good morning; may I come in?"

"AM-MA!" Mandy squealed happily.

"Come in, Trish," Mac said, setting her squirming child down so she could run over to greet her grandmother.

Trish leaned down and picked her up, kissing her cheek.

"Wawer," Mandy told her excitedly, pointing out the windows towards the ocean. "Wawer, Am-ma!"

"I see it," Trish told her, smiling at her enthusiasm. "Lily took Chris downstairs about half an hour ago and is feeding him," she told Mac. "We decided you needed to sleep a bit longer, so I was coming to check on Mandy. I was hoping to get to her before she woke you up."

"Thank you," Mac said. "I need to be up, anyway. I want to call and find out what's happening with Harm." Placing a hand over her left breast, she winced. "Right now I need to either nurse or use the breast pump, though… I feel like I'm going to explode."

Trish gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'll take Mandy downstairs and feed her, and send Lily up with Chris. He's had cereal, but not a bottle."

"Thank you again, Trish," she said. "I really appreciate everything you've done for us."

Trish moved over to give Mac a hug with one arm, and kissed her cheek. "Nonsense, dear, that's what family is for." She stopped just before she left the bedroom and looked over to Mac, smiling softly at her. "You know, you _can_ call me and Frank 'Mom and Dad' if you'd like… we wouldn't mind." She quietly closed the bedroom door behind her, and left Mac alone.

Mac smiled, her eyes tearing up a bit, before she sighed and went to the bathroom. She'd just come out, when Lily knocked on the door, and came in with Chris.

Chris saw his mother, and began kicking his legs and squirming, making a humming noise as he reached for her.

"I think someone wants his Mommy," Lily said, handing him to Mac. "He's had cereal and pears, but Trish said you wanted to nurse?"

Mac nodded, as she held her son close. "Yeah; I'm feeling a little full."

Lily grinned, nodding. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, thank you," Mac said, moving into the nursery and taking a seat in the rocker. "Is Jack still here?"

"Yes," Lily replied. "Trish insisted that he stay here, since he doesn't want to leave until he knows how Harm is doing. He's interesting and funny, and a real flirt. Does he _really_ fly planes for the CIA?"

"Yes, he really does," Mac told her. "And he is every bit the handful he appears to be."

"Aren't all men?" Lily asked, smiling.

"Some are worse than others," Mac said, returning the smile. "I think pilots are the worst of the group, though; adrenaline junkies, all of them."

"Harm seems to have settled down," Lily said. "He was perfectly happy staying in DC, and didn't seem like he really wanted to go back to the carrier."

"This isn't Harm's first time punching out of a fighter, either," Mac said softly. "It's actually his fourth… and each time is harder on the body. Harm's grown up a lot since I've known him. Not many pilots live through the things he has, and it's changed him for the better."

"So why would he risk his life the way he did the other day?" Lily asked, confused.

"Because he also has an innate need to protect people," Mac sighed, looking down at her son and rubbing the top of his head with her palm. "He wants to do the right thing, even if it means getting himself killed in the process."

Mac's cell phone rang in the other room and she frowned, trying to get up while still nursing.

"Stay there," Lily waved her down. "I'll get it." She disappeared into the other room and returned a moment later, holding the phone out to Mac.

"It's your father," Lily told her. "He says it's important."

**09:14 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

"Hello?" Mac said into the phone, after she'd taken it from Lily. She could hear a great deal of background noise, and frowned. "Dad? Where are you?"

"On a helo, inbound to NAS North Island," AJ's voice said over the din. "Don't ask; it's a long story. I just got a phone call from the skipper of the 'Patrick Henry'. He said that Harm's transport plane will be landing in about two hours and he'll be transferred straight to an ambulance waiting to take him to the hospital in San Diego. I'll be there in about an hour and a half, so I'll either wait until his plane arrives, or commandeer a ride to the hospital to wait. Either way, I'll meet you at the hospital in about two, maybe two and a half, hours."

Mac sighed in relief. "How'd they manage to get him here so fast?"

"They put him on a direct flight, instead of one that needed to stop in Hawaii," he said. "The flight surgeon doesn't want him traveling any longer than absolutely necessary."

Mac's chest tightened. "It's worse than they're telling us, isn't it?"

"That would be my guess," AJ said. "But it could just be that they want the man who just saved several million people to get the care he needs, as quickly as possible."

"Wait~" Mac said, frowning. "Several million? I thought he was leading the missile away from the squad?"

"The North Koreans had just led them over into Japanese air space," he told her. "If that missile had hit a fighter and exploded, or worse, hit the ground, it would have been devastating; millions would have died, or suffered from the effects of the nuclear blast. The Japanese hadn't even had a chance to launch their own fighters yet."

Lily kneeled beside Mac, who had tears streaming down her face, and put her hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Damned Squid," Mac muttered, even though she was smiling. "Always has to be a hero."

AJ chuckled softly. "I wouldn't be surprised if he gets the Medal of Honor for this, Mac."

Mac sniffed, closing her eyes for a minute. As long as he was home safe and relatively sound, she was happy. "I've got to go tell his parents and get everyone ready to go," she told him. "We'll see you in a couple of hours."

"All right," AJ said. "Call me on my cell phone if you need anything."

"I will," she promised, before hanging up.

"Do you want to take the babies with you to the hospital?" Lily asked. "Depending on Harm's condition, they may not be able to go in and see him. I could stay here with them until you find out for sure."

Mac nodded. "That might not be a bad idea," she said. "There's nothing for them to do at the hospital, and with as tense as everyone is bound to be, it will only make them cranky. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Mac, it's what I get paid for," Lily smiled. "Besides, you're all like family to me… I'm happy to do it."

Mac sat Christopher up on her shoulder, pulled her shirt back down, and then began to pat him on the back. "Thank you, Lily," she said. "Let me get this guy settled, and then I'll get dressed and come down."

"You're welcome," Lily replied. "I'll go let everyone else know what's going on, okay?"

Mac nodded, kissing her son and closing her eyes while she rocked him.

Chris lifted his head and began squirming, so Mac moved him so that he was cradled in her arms. She looked down into his eyes, which were the mirror image of his father's, and smiled at him. "Daddy's coming home," she told him. "He's going to be so happy to see you."

Chris smiled up at her, reaching a hand out to touch her face.

Mac just sat there holding him, rocking slowly back and forth while she looked into her son's eyes. When he finally dozed off, she gently placed him into the crib, and looked down at him, lightly stroking the dark hair on his head.

"He's coming home," she said again softly, as if reassuring herself. "The Rabb legacy won't be to leave their sons without fathers… not ever again." She picked up the baby monitor and moved to the door connecting the two rooms. She was about to close the nursery door, when the sight before her caused her to freeze in place for a moment, gasping softly.

The ghostly form of Harmon Rabb, Sr., looked up from where he'd just kissed his grandson. He gave her the Rabb signature smile, a wink, and a nod, and then turned away and disappeared through the bedroom door that led to the hallway.

"Not ever again," she whispered, smiling softly, and closed the door.

**14:41 PST**

**San Diego Naval Hospital**

**San Diego, CA**

Mac paced around the waiting room nervously, waiting for permission to go in and see her husband. At the very least, she was hoping for some kind of news about his condition. Sighing, she ran a hand over her eyes.

"Mac, sit down," AJ said. "Pacing about isn't going to make them go any faster."

Mac sat heavily into the chair beside Mattie and hung her head. "I know," she said. "He arrived three hours, thirty-one minutes, twenty-two seconds ago… what is taking them so long?"

"How do you do that?" Frank asked with a small grin. It wasn't the first time he'd either heard about, or witnessed, Mac's internal time sense, but it still amazed him.

Mac shrugged. "I have no idea. At times like this, I wish I didn't have a built in clock." She snapped her head in Jack's direction as he snapped another bubblegum bubble. "And I'm going to clean _yours_, if you do that again!" she told him fiercely.

Jack's eyes opened wide, and he promptly swallowed the gum he was chewing. "Yes ma'am," he said, glancing at AJ.

Mac jumped out of her chair, startling Grammy, who'd arrived an hour before Harm had, and moved to stand in front of the large windows. She stared out towards the ocean and pinched the bridge of her nose.

A doctor came out with a clipboard, looking at the paper on it to find the next of kin. "Mrs. Rabb?" he asked, looking up expectantly.

Mac whirled around and moved quickly forward. "Yes?"The doctor looked at the other people gathered in the waiting room. "Um, patient privacy laws require me to get permission to speak to anyone but you. Since you're his wife, and you have durable power of attorney, I just need a signature from you allowing me to tell anyone else about your husband's condition."

Mac nodded, scribbled her signature on the appropriate line, and quickly told the doctor who everyone was. "These are his parents, his grandmother, our daughter, my father, and one of his best friends," she told him. "Now tell me how my husband is doing, please?"

The doctor gave her a small smile. "He's stable," he said. "I understand that this isn't his first time punching out of an F-14?"

"It's his fourth," Mac told him, nodding, "but one of them was a Russian MIG."

The doctor raised an eyebrow, and then shook his head. "It's a miracle he's alive," he said softly. "His right leg was broken in three places… he's still in surgery to repair and set it. He should be out anytime now, and then he'll spend about forty-five minutes to an hour in recovery, before they move him to a room in ICU."

Mac nodded her understanding. "They said he dislocated his shoulder, and had second and third degree burns?"

"They fixed his shoulder aboard ship," he told her looking over the notes on the chart he held. "His feet and legs, up to about mid-thigh, are burned. His legs are actually worse, being third degree burns~ his boots saved his feet and ankles, but he should eventually make a full recovery… though he will have some scarring. He wrenched his back when he hit the water, and that worries me, since this is his fourth punch-out."

"Worries you how?" Mac asked.

"Well, while there is no obvious damage to the spine or the spinal cord," he told her, "there's always a chance that there could be something that we can't see on our regular tests that could come up. We'll have a better idea of what's happening with his back, after he's more able to move around and talk to us, and after we get the swelling in his back muscles down."

"How long will that be?" Mac asked him.

"As far as the swelling in the muscles go, it could be a few days, or it could be a few weeks; it's hard to tell. Allowing him to move is really going to depend on how his burns are healing," he told her. "He's going to be on pain medications for quite awhile, and I don't want him even trying to get up and walk on his feet until they've healed. Since he'll be on pain medications, he won't know if his back is hurting until we can take him off of the pain medications, so it's kind of a catch twenty-two we're dealing with here. We're just going to have to insist that he take it easy, and hope for the best."

"Wouldn't it be better to let him come off of the pain meds a bit, so that he can tell you where it hurts and how bad?" Jack asked. "They did that to me when I was in an accident a few years back."

"Trust me, we _do not_ want him having to deal with the pain of his burns," the doctor told them. "Burns are the most horrific injury a person can experience; he is very lucky that his aren't worse. From what I was told, he was on fire until he hit the water. Also, there was some residual radiation, but we've treated him for that, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"The trick is going to be in getting him to take it easy," Trish said, obviously shaken by what the doctor had just told them. "My son does not do well in captivity."

The doctor smiled ruefully. "I'll threaten to tie him down if necessary."

"How long before we can see him?" Mac asked. "We have a toddler and an infant that he's going to want to see, as well."

"As long as he's in the ICU, no one under twelve is allowed to visit I'm afraid," he told her. "He shouldn't be there too long, though. Two, maybe three, days, depending on how his burns look and his leg is doing. Once he's in a regular room, you can bring the little ones to see him, as long as the nursing supervisor gives the okay. You and the rest of the family should be able to see him within the next hour-and-a-half to two hours, though. They just have to get him settled into the ICU first. Do you have any more questions?"

"No, thank you," Mac said. "I appreciate all you're doing for him."

"I heard what he did," he said, smiling at her. "I'm happy to help him in whatever way I can." He nodded to everyone, and then turned and left the waiting room.

Mac took a seat and put her face in her hands, sighing deeply.

"Are you all right, dear?" Trish asked her, placing a gentle hand on her back.

Mac nodded. "Yeah; I just want to see him… reassure myself with my own eyes that he's really okay."

Trish smiled sympathetically. She understood completely. "It won't be long, now."

Mac only nodded, before she stood up and moved to stare out of the large windows again.

**17:54 PST**

**San Diego Naval Hospital**

**San Diego, CA**

Mac followed the nurse through the ICU, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Bracing herself, she nodded to the nurse when they stopped in front of the room with the name 'Rabb' written on a dry-erase board hung outside the door. Thanking the nurse, she quietly slipped in and stood staring silently at her husband, who appeared to be sleeping. He had a large bruise on his forehead, and he was extremely pale, but otherwise looked relatively unscathed from her vantage point.

Moving soundlessly to stand beside his bed, she tentatively took his left hand in hers, frowning when she noticed that his wedding ring was missing.

"Hey," Harm croaked softly, causing her head to snap up so that her eyes met his.

"Hey yourself," she said, just as quietly. "Are you in any pain?"

He shook his head. "Nah… whatever they're giving me is pretty effective," he assured her. "How are the kids?"

"Good," she said. "They miss their Daddy."

Harm gave her a small smile. "I miss them, too. Nurse Attila told me that they can't come to see me until I'm in a regular room."

"Nurse Attila?" she asked, confused.

"As in Attila the Hun?" he clarified, giving her an impish grin.

Mac smiled at that. "You play nice, Harmon," she told him with mock sternness. "These people are only here to help you."

"I know," he told her with a sigh. "I've just missed you all so much." He pulled her hand, which was still holding tightly to his own, up to his lips and kissed her fingers, before tugging on it to draw her nearer to him. Reaching out to caress her face he looked into her eyes, before drawing her in for a gentle kiss. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you."

Mac smiled tenderly at him. "I love you, too," she said. "There's a whole waiting room full of people out there that want to see you," she told him. "I should give them a turn."

Harm nodded. "Will you be back?"

"As soon as they've all had a chance to come in and see you; I promise," she replied.

"I'll be waiting for you," he said, reluctantly letting her go.

Mac made her way back to the ICU waiting room and nodded to Trish and Frank. "You can go see him now," she told everyone. "Just no more than two people at a time in his room, for no more than ten minutes," she recited the rules the nurse Harm had dubbed 'Attila' had given her.

She moved over to Mattie and hugged her. "He's going to be okay," she assured the girl. "I'm going to go get some coffee… do you want anything?"

"No, thank you," Mattie said, returning the hug. "I'll wait here, and go in to see him with Grammy." She looked at her mother. "Are you okay?"

Mac smiled tightly. "I'm fine," she said. "Just very tired."

Mattie nodded. "Okay," she said, still unsure.

"I'll be back in awhile," she promised, and then opened the stairwell door and disappeared.

Keeter looked at AJ, frowning. "She is _not_ okay," he said softly.

AJ nodded slowly. "I'll go talk to her," he said, standing and following Mac through the stairwell doors.

He found her several minutes later sitting outside on a bench, staring off into the distance. Taking a seat beside her, he waited for her to talk to him. He didn't have to wait long.

"He looks fine," she said. "There's a bruise on his forehead, and he's a bit pale, but you can't tell just by looking at him that he almost died less than two days ago."

AJ nodded. "That's good."

Mac raised a shaking hand to brush the hair from her forehead. "Yeah, it is," she said. "Almost immediately he asked how the kids are," she told him. "And he's already nicknamed his nurse 'Attila' because she's very strict about the rules… because they won't let Mandy and Chris in to see him until he's in a regular room."

AJ had to chuckle slightly at that. "He never has liked to follow the rules," he replied.

"No… he never has," she said softly. She jumped up abruptly, wrapping her arms around herself and looking up at the sky, as two F-18's flew overhead. Without warning, she began to sob, tears flowing from her eyes as she fell to her knees.

AJ was beside her in an instant, wrapping strong arms around her and holding her tightly, murmuring soothing words of comfort to her. "It's all right," he said. "Let it out."

Mac completely unraveled, clinging to him as she cried and tried to get her breathing under control.

AJ just knelt there beside her, holding her and letting her get it all out. They stayed that way for a good fifteen minutes, before Mac finally started to settle. Standing up and pulling her with him, AJ led her to the bench they had vacated and he ushered her to sit down beside him, still holding her close. Kissing the top of her head, he waited until she finally sat up and sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" he asked her. "Mac, you have every right to have a major meltdown. You've been holding your family together through an extremely difficult situation, with admirable strength and determination. Personally, I'm surprised you managed to hold it together this long."

"I cried for a few hours last night," she told him. "I thought it was enough."

"Apparently it wasn't," he said, smiling tightly at her.

"It's just after all the time he's been gone, constantly worrying about him… and then when I got the news that he'd had to punch out again, and all the details surrounding it… not to mention the news that he suffered from burns when the plane caught on fire… when _he_ caught on fire," she said, rambling, and then sighed. "I guess just seeing him alive, and knowing for sure that he's okay and he's going to recover… it finally just all hit me."

"It's okay," AJ assured her. "Now, do you think you're ready to go see him again?"

"I need to make a stop at the restroom first, but yeah, I'm ready," she said, standing.

"Good," AJ replied. "Then let's go."


	70. Chapter 70

A/N: As always, THANK YOU for all of the awesome reviews~ they are keeping me going! Long chapter again! Enjoy...

**18:39 PST**

**San Diego Naval Hospital**

**San Diego, CA**

By the time Mac and AJ returned to the ICU waiting room, everyone else had been in to see Harm. Mac let AJ go in to see him alone, and when he returned, the family began making plans to head back to the Burnett's home.

Trish insisted that AJ stay the night at their house, since he was only going to have time to stop in to see Harm for a short time in the morning before he had to catch a flight back to Washington DC.

Mac left them to hammer out the details, while she went in to see Harm again. Slipping silently into his room in the ICU, she took a seat in the chair beside his bed and held his hand in hers. She could hear the beeping of the heart monitor, and the slight hiss of the oxygen that was being fed through the tube at his nose, as she just sat there beside him.

Harm stirred, smiling when he saw her sitting beside his bed. "Hello, gorgeous," he said.

Mac couldn't help but smile back. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Actually, I feel like I'm floating," he told her. "This pain medication is quite a trip."

"Oh, great," Mac chuckled lightly.

"Since I saw Mattie, I got to catch up with her," he said. "Tell me about Mandy and Chris… what new things have they learned while I've been gone?"

"Mandy saw the ocean outside the windows when she woke up this morning," she told him. "You should have seen her reaction… she was ecstatic."

"I knew she'd love it," Harm said, smiling. "When I get out of here, we'll have to take them all to the beach."

Mac nodded. "Yeah."

"I bet Chris has gotten so big," Harm said. "He hasn't started crawling yet, has he?"

"No, not yet," Mac said quietly. "He'll be six months around Thanksgiving, so anytime around there, or after, should be about right." She stared off into space, a pensive expression on her face.

Harm looked at her in concern. "Mac, honey, what is it? Is something wrong? You seem… distracted."

"I saw your father," she said softly.

"I know; he and mom~" Harm cut off, his eyes widening as he realized what she meant. "When?"

"This morning," she told him. She proceeded to tell him about that morning, up to the time she saw Harm Sr.

Harm blinked back tears. "I've always felt like he was watching over me," he said softly.

Mac gave him a sad smile, nodding. "I think that everyone is going back to your mom's tonight," she told him. "Dad has to leave tomorrow, but he's going to come back to see you before he does. Keeter is staying, though I don't know for how long… he and Lily seem to be hitting it off."

Harm gave her a wide-eyed, concerned look. "Mac… he's nearly twice her age!"

Mac shrugged. "She's an adult, Harm; she can make her own decisions."

"Still… I'd better talk to him," Harm said. "I don't want him pulling his usual playboy antics with Lily. She may be twenty-seven years old, but he is almost forty and still hasn't settled down any."

Mac gave him a patient smile, knowing that there wasn't anything she could say to change his mind.

Harm tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn and gave Mac an apologetic look. "Sorry. The pain meds are really doing me in."

Mac nodded. "It's okay," she assured him. "You need to get some sleep, and I need to get back to our children. I'll be back again tomorrow." She stood and leaned over him, kissing him tenderly. "Get some rest," she admonished. "And be nice to the nurses."

Harm gave her an impish grin, chuckling when she rolled her eyes at him. He gave her a mock salute, before he closed his eyes.

Mac lingered in the doorway a few moments longer, and then turned to go join the family so that they could head back to her in-laws' home.

**20:50 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Mac sat in the rocking chair, nursing Chris and watching Mandy as she lay in the toddler bed, trying to fight off sleep.

"Daddy fy?" Mandy asked softly, her eyes drooping.

"Not anymore," Mac said. "He's very close, now. I'll take you to see him as soon as the doctor says it's okay… Daddy got an owie," she said, simplifying it the best she could for her little girl.

Miranda frowned slightly at this. "Daddy ow?"

"Yeah," Mac said, nodding. "Daddy got an ow."

Miranda sat up and looked towards the bedroom door. "I kiss," she said, looking at Mac.

Mac had to smile at that. "Not yet," she told her. "But soon, okay? When you see Daddy, you can give him a kiss."

Mandy lay back down on her bed, sighing. "Okay."

There was a light tap on the door leading to the hallway and Keeter stuck his head in, quickly averted his eyes, and blushed. "Trish wanted me to ask you if you'd like some tea?"

"That'd be nice, thank you," Mac said, tossing a blanket over her so that he could enter the room. "You can look now."

"Dack?" Mandy said quietly, looking up at him from her bed.

Jack entered the room and knelt down beside her bed, brushing her hair from her eyes. "What's up princess?"

"Daddy ow," she said sadly.

"I know," he answered, nodding. "He's okay though, baby girl."

Mandy's eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled.

"Aw, now, don't cry," Jack told her, sitting on the floor and pulling her into his arms. "Your daddy is okay, and you get to go see him real soon," he said, holding her in his lap and smoothing her hair with his palm as he rocked back and forth slowly.

Mac blinked back her own tears; this was a side of the cocky pilot she'd not seen before.

Lily poked her head in, but closed her mouth and smiled when she saw Jack sitting on the floor with Miranda.

Jack held the tiny girl until she fell asleep, before he gently placed her into her bed and covered her up, kissing her forehead. "Sleep well, angel," he said quietly.

When he looked up and saw the two women watching him with tender smiles, he suddenly became embarrassed. "I'll, uh, go help Trish get that tea," he told Mac, hurrying out of the room.

"Do you need anything?" Lily asked Mac, both of them sharing knowing grins.

Mac shook her head, as she adjusted Chris up onto her shoulder and fixed her clothing. "No, thank you," she said.

Lily nodded and disappeared out the door, following Jack downstairs.

Mac sighed, shaking her head ruefully, as she situated Chris into his crib and then covered him up. Picking up the baby monitor, she headed downstairs to join the rest of the family.

Trish handed her a cup of tea when she entered the kitchen. "Jack didn't specify what kind of tea, so I hope that peppermint is okay."

Mac smiled at her mother-in-law. "It's fine; thank you," she said, sipping at the beverage and looking at those gathered in the room. "Where are Jack and Lily?" she asked, not seeing them.

"They went for a walk on the beach," Mattie said, grinning. "I think they like each other."

Mac bit her top lip, nodding; she really hoped that Jack didn't do anything stupid. She took a seat at the kitchen table, rubbing a palm along her forehead.

"You look really tired, Mom," Mattie said. "Maybe you should call it a night."

Mac smiled, placing her chin in her palm with her elbow on the table and looked at her oldest child. "C'mere, you," she said, holding her free arm out towards her daughter.

Mattie moved to sit beside Mac, smiling in embarrassment when Mac pulled her in for a gentle hug.

"How are you doing with all of this?" Mac asked as Mattie put her head on her shoulder, and Mac rested her head against Mattie's. "I feel like I've been neglecting you."

Mattie shrugged. "It's okay," she said. "Between Mandy, Chris, and everything going on with Dad, I understand."

Mac shook her head slightly. "No," she said, "no; it's not okay. You are an important member of this family, too, and I should never get too busy for you. Do you need anything? To talk?"

Mattie smiled, shaking her head. "I'm okay, Mom, really."

"Promise you'll come talk to me if you need to?" Mac asked, again hugging her with the arm that was around her shoulders.

"I promise," Mattie said, yawning. "I think I need to hit the rack, too," she said, sitting up and smiling at Mac. "I just want to check my email first; see if Troy wrote to me… and I really need to answer Chloe… she's freaking out about Dad, even though I told her not to."

Mac groaned. "Should I call her?"

"Probably," Mattie said, shrugging. "I told her he's okay, but you know how excitable she is. Besides, now she's got Josh all wigged out, too."

"Great," Mac said, drawing the word out. "It just gets better and better."

Mattie had to laugh at that. She hugged Mac again and then stood up. "I'm going to head up to my room, check my emails, and then go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Mac smiled, kissing the girl's cheek. "Night, Mats," she said. "Love you."

"G'night; love you, too," Mattie said, then left the kitchen.

Trish had witnessed the exchange, smiling to herself. "You're a terrific mother, Mac," she said to her, once Mattie was gone.

Mac sat back in her chair, looking at her mother-in-law with a somewhat startled expression. "Thank you," she said. "Believe it or not, I need to hear that every now and then. I didn't exactly have the greatest role model."

"Harmon said that you and your mother have loosely kept in touch over the last few years, but that you haven't reconciled with her," Trish said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks," Mac said softly, sipping her now tepid tea. Sighing, she moved to the sink and poured it out, rinsing the cup. "I need to get some sleep," she told Trish. "Good night."

"Good night, dear," Trish said, smiling at her.

**06:21 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

The sound of her cell phone ringing startled Mac awake and she grabbed it off of the nightstand quickly, snapping it open. "Hello?"

"Good morning, beautiful!" Harm's voice came through the phone. "Why are you still sleeping? I thought you were going to come see me today?"

Mac blinked, frowned, and then blinked again, looking confused. "Harm? What are you doing awake? It's not even six thirty, yet!"

There was a long silence and Mac thought he'd hung up.

"Oops," he finally said softly. "Sorry… I got my stuff back and looked at my watch, and it said 09:20. Guess I forgot that it's still set on DC time."

Mac had to laugh. "Oh, Harm," she chuckled. "I love you."

Harm joined her laughter. "I really am sorry, honey; go back to sleep for awhile," he said, once they'd stopped laughing.

Mac stretched. "Nah," she said. "I'm awake now. Mandy and Chris will be awake soon, and once I've made sure they're fed, I'll come visit you. How does that sound?"

"I miss them so much," Harm said softly, sighing. "I wish that you could bring them to see me now. Who knows how long I'm gonna be stuck in here."

Mac smiled sadly. "I know you do," she replied. "The doctor said you'd probably only be in there for a few days, and I can bring the babies once you're in a regular room."

Harm sighed. "Do you have any recent pictures you can bring? I need to see them… even if it's just in a photo."

"I'll bring some with me," she promised. "Now let me get off of this phone and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"All right," he conceded. "I love you.""I love you, too," she said. "See you soon." She hung up the phone and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, before she rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

By the time she'd finished showering and dressing, Mandy was awake and had moved to Mac's room, standing on the bed to look out the windows at the ocean.

"Wawer," she told Mac, pointing.

"Mmm, hmm," Mac murmured, nodding. "I see it."

"Piddy," Miranda grinned.

"Not as pretty as you are," Mac said, scooping her up and kissing her.

Miranda held her hands above her head and looked up. "Fy! Fy, Mama!"

Mac chuckled, holding her up above her head and making airplane noises as she 'flew' her around the room. When her arms were finally too tired to hold her up anymore, she brought her back down and kissed her again. "Okay… that's it for now. Are you hungry?"

Mandy nodded. "Hunny," she repeated.

"Let's go see if Chris is awake, then we'll go get some breakfast, okay?" Mac said, setting Miranda back down on her feet and watching as she scampered towards the nursery.

"Okay!" she said, running into the nursery. She peeked over the top of the crib, smiling down at her brother, who was, indeed, wide awake. "Cis away," she told Mac.

"I see that," Mac smiled at her. She lifted her son out of his crib, giving him a kiss, before laying him on the changing table and changing his diaper. Looking at Mandy, she raised an eyebrow. "Do you need a new diaper?"

Miranda lifted her nightgown and looked down the front of her diaper, before looking up at Mac and nodding. "Wed," she told her.

"If she can tell you that, she's ready to start being potty-trained," Trish's voice said, as she came into the nursery, smiling.

"Really?" Mac asked, kissing Chris and handing him to Trish. She lifted Mandy up onto the changing table and changed her diaper, blowing a raspberry on her tummy, causing the toddler to squeal in delight, before she set her back onto the floor. "I don't know if I have the energy for that right now," she said honestly.

"There's no hurry," Trish told her. "But it's one of the signs that she's ready."

Mac smiled wistfully. "She's growing up so fast… they both are."

"It goes by quickly," Trish told her, nodding. "Cherish every minute you have with them, because you can never get the time back."

Mac nodded, as they made their way downstairs to the kitchen. "Harm called," she told Trish and the others, who were already getting breakfast together. "He forgot that his watch is still set to DC time," she said smiling. "He wanted to know why I wasn't there yet."

"Poor darling," Trish said. "Harm has never liked being cooped up; he's probably going stir crazy already."

Mac nodded, setting Mandy's sippy-cup full of milk and a handful of Cheerios on the highchair tray in front of her. "He wants me to bring some recent pictures of the kids, too. He misses them terribly."

"I bet," Trish replied, watching as Mac fed Chris some rice cereal and strained bananas. She went to the den and grabbed her digital camera, snapping some photos of Mac, Mattie, Miranda, and Chris, while they went through their usual morning routine, and one outside on the patio. Then she went and printed them out while Mac got Chris settled upstairs and prepared to leave for the hospital.

"I've got some things to do this morning before I head over to the hospital," Trish told her, handing her the photos. "Give these to Harm when you get there."

Mac looked at the photos, smiling at some of the silly expressions, and then looked at her mother-in-law, hugging her. "Thanks, Mom," she said quietly. "I know he'll love these."

Trish smiled at Mac's having called her 'mom'. "You're very welcome, dear," she said.

Mac smiled shyly and then put her arm around Mattie's shoulders, leading her out to the car. "Ready to go see your dad?" she asked the teenager.

"More than ready," Mattie said, climbing into the front passenger seat. She grinned when Mac started the engine, revving it slightly. "I can't believe Grampa Frank is letting us take the Viper."

Mac winked at her daughter. "Buckle up; I'm gonna see what this baby can do."

**08:30 PST**

**San Diego Naval Hospital**

**San Diego, CA**

Mac and Mattie entered the ICU, still giggling, as they headed towards Harm's room. They looked at each other in concern, when they heard Harm's voice coming from the other side of the unit, causing them to pick up the pace.

"_IT HURTS, GOD DAMMIT_!" he yelled, just before there was a metallic-sounding crash, and a young nurse's aide scurried out of the room.

Mac motioned for Mattie to wait for her to check it out, before poking her head around the curtain. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw what was going on, and she turned back out to Mattie, holding back her tears. Digging into her purse, she pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"Here, Mats, why don't you go to the cafeteria and get some coffee or something? Give us about twenty minutes to get him settled," she told the girl.

"What's wrong?" Mattie asked, clearly worried.

"They're changing the dressing on his burns… it's not pretty, Mattie," she told her softly. "I'd rather you not see that."

Mattie took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll call you on your cell before I come back, okay?"

"Good idea," Mac said, kissing her forehead. "See you in a bit."

Mattie turned and rushed down the hall as Harm yelled again, and Mac braced herself before turning back to go into his room.

Harm had his head back, eyes squeezed tightly shut, as the nurse Harm had dubbed 'Attila' cleaned the raw, red burns on his legs.

Mac noted the nurse's nametag read 'Heather', as she moved to the head of Harm's bed. "Hey, Sailor," she said, taking his hand and kissing his forehead.

Harm's eyes snapped open and he looked up at her, his eyes mirroring the pain he was in. "Mac," he breathed, squeezing her hand.

"I'm here," she assured him, squeezing back. She watched as the nurse used a basin of water and some kind of antibacterial cleanser to clean the burns, feeling the tension in Harm's body as she did so. "I thought the pain medication was supposed to help him?" she asked the nurse.

"It takes the edge off," Heather told her, "but we can't give him anymore without risking overdose, so he just has to tough it out through this part… I'm very sorry."

Mac nodded, looking back at Harm, and she ran her palm along his cheek. "Harm, look at me," she said, wincing when he gasped again in pain. "Look at me," she commanded.

Harm looked at her, his eyes shining with tears. "It hurts, Mac," he gasped out. "God, it _HURTS_!"

Mac blinked away the tears forming in her eyes, nodding. "Focus on me, okay? Listen to my voice."

Harm locked his eyes onto hers, as he listened to her talking to him about the kids and the morning they'd just had. "You have pictures?" he asked, latching onto what she'd said.

Mac nodded, pulling them out of her purse with her free hand and handing them to him.

Harm set them down and then picked them up one at a time. "Now I understand how Bud felt when Harriet sent the pictures of Little AJ to Australia with you," he said, forcing a smile through the pain. "They change so quickly."

Mac smiled tightly at him, nodding. "Yeah, they do."

"I~ I thought Mattie was coming with you?" Harm asked, gritting his teeth as Heather began putting the ointment on the burns and bandaging him up again.

"She did," Mac nodded. "I sent her to the cafeteria until this is over."

Harm nodded. "Thank you," he said, looking at his favorite picture again. It was of Mac, Mattie, Mandy and Chris, standing outside on his parents' back patio, the ocean behind them. He set the pictures on the bed and closed his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth, while Heather finished tending to his burns.

Mac moved to the sink and wet a cloth with cool water, before moving to wipe the sweat from his brown and face. Then she kissed him tenderly.

"I'm finished now," Heather told him, as she covered his legs up with a clean sheet and began cleaning up.

"Thank God," Harm moaned. "Has it been long enough now that I can have something for the pain?"

She smiled sympathetically and nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes with something."

Harm sighed, pulling Mac to him in a gentle embrace. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Mac answered, lifting up to look into his eyes, before kissing him again. Her cell phone rang and she answered it, telling Mattie that it was okay to return to the ICU.

Heather came in and gave Harm a dose of morphine through his IV port, and then gave him two white tablets. "The morphine is fast-acting for immediate relief; the pills are percocet, and will take about thirty minutes to start working, but will give you more long-term relief.

"Thank you, Heather," Mac said softly, as Harm nodded to her.

"Let me know if you need anything else," she told them, and then left them alone.

By the time Mattie got back to the ICU, the pain meds had kicked in and Harm was sound asleep.


	71. Chapter 71

A/N: Yay, finally! I'm not updating this as fast as I'd like, because I keep getting stuck! I HATE when that happens! As always, THANK YOU!!!!! to everyone that has reviewed. Much as I'd like to respond individually, I just don't always have the time, but I really, truly appreciate you taking time to tell me what you think of this tale! I try to review when I read someone else's stuff, because I understand that the reviews are what keep you going! Okay, enough talk. Enjoy...

**13:04 PST**

**San Diego Naval Hospital**

**San Diego, CA**

**2 Days Later**

Harm sat up straighter in his bed, smiling brightly as Mac carried Christopher, and Mattie carried Miranda, into his room. They had finally transferred him to a regular room that morning, and the nurse in charge had given the okay for the little ones to come visit him.

"Daddy!" Miranda squealed happily, reaching for him.

Harm held his arms out, nodding to Mattie to let him hold her, and then hugged her close to him the second she was in his arms. "Hi, princess," he murmured. "How's Daddy's baby girl?"

Miranda wrapped her small arms around his neck, nearly choking him as she held on tightly to him. "Daddy ow?" she asked him, her face turned into his neck.

"Yeah, baby, Daddy got an ow," he told her.

"I kiss," she told him, sitting up to look him in the eyes. She held her small hands out, palms up, and frowned. "Where ow?" she asked him.

Harm pointed to his cheek, which was actually one of the few places he didn't hurt. "I need a kiss right here," he told her.

Miranda happily obliged, and then looked up at him with an expectant face. "Okay?"

Harm smiled at her. "Much better," he nodded.

Miranda nodded, pleased with having helped her daddy and his ow, and began to babble happily to him, occasionally pointing to someone, or off into the distance.

Harm smiled, as he realized that he was understanding more of her words.

"Unna Dack fy," she told him, nodding. "Daddy fy."

Harm looked at Mac, confused. "Unna Dack?"

"Uncle Jack," Mac clarified. "She has put together the fact that you both fly, and seems very impressed with that fact."

"Yeah, princess," Harm said, tapping her nose. "Daddy and Uncle Jack both fly."

Miranda laughed, throwing her head back, and then looked at Mattie and pointed. "Ma-ee fy!"

"That's right, Squirt," Mattie smiled. "I fly, too."

Miranda looked at Harm, suddenly serious. "I fy?"

"You want to fly too?" Harm asked, smiling.

Mandy nodded. "I fy."

Harm looked at Mac, who rolled her eyes, but smiled just the same. "When you're a big girl, like Mattie, you can fly, too."

Mandy clapped her hands and nodded, laughing happily.

"Can I hold Chris now?" Harm asked her.

Mandy held her arms out to Mattie, who picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Cis," she said, pointing to her sleeping brother.

Mac gently handed Christopher to him, smiling. "He fell asleep on the way over," she told him.

"Hey, slugger," Harm said, holding his son close to him and kissing his forehead. "I missed you." He looked up at Mac, eyes wide. "He's getting heavier."

Mac smiled indulgently. "They do that."

Chris scrunched up his nose and stretched, before opening his eyes and blinking sleepily up at his father. He looked intently at him for a minute, and then a huge smile lit up his face.

Harm grinned down at him. "Hi, big guy," he said to him, staring into his eyes for several moments. "His eyes have changed," he said to Mac.

Mac smiled, nodding. "They look just like yours, now," she replied, carefully sitting on the bed beside him and caressing her son's head.

"Really?" Harm asked, looking up at her.

"Mmm," Mac acknowledged, looking up into his eyes. "He looks just like you, now."

"Daddy!" Mandy laughed.

Harm patted the other side of the bed, indicating that Mattie should sit there. As soon as she did, he tapped Mandy's nose with his forefinger, and then took Mattie's hand. "I'm so grateful to finally be home with my family," he said softly.

Mac's eyes filled with tears and she nodded. "We're grateful to have you home," she whispered, before leaning forward to kiss him tenderly.

Trish, Frank and Grammy Sarah stood in the doorway, watching the family with large smiles on their faces.

**11:12 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

**3 Weeks Later**

Harm slowly made his way into the living room with his crutches, finally dropping heavily onto the sofa and breathing a sigh of relief.

Mac gently helped him to turn to a reclining position, lifting his cast-encased leg onto the sofa and then propping it with a pillow. "Do you need anything?" she asked him, kneeling beside him so that she could give him a kiss.

"A nap?" he asked, smiling. "Man… I really _am _getting old."

Mac chuckled, trailing kisses to his ear. "_I_ don't think so," she murmured. "And as soon as your doctor clears you, I'll prove it."

"Maaac," he muttered. "You're _killing_ me."

"Daddy!" Miranda yelled happily, running towards him.

Mac pulled away from him with a sultry smile, and caught the toddler before she could launch herself onto her father's prone form. "Hey Miss," she said, kissing her. "You are supposed to be napping." She looked at Harm. "This little ball of energy was up at 04:30 this morning."

Harm chuckled, as he nodded to Mac to let him hold her. Kissing her cheek, he adjusted her so that she was lying on top of him, and began caressing her hair softly.

Mandy turned her head to look at Mac. "Unna Dack go," she told Mac.

Mac kneeled down again, kissing her forehead. "I know," she said. "He had to go to work, but he's coming back when he's done."

"She seems to have taken to Keeter," Harm said, smiling at Mac.

"And he's taken to her," Mac said, smiling. "Hook, line and sinker; she has him wrapped around her little finger."

"She does seem to do that to the men in our lives," Harm chuckled. "I'm going to lose a lot of sleep over this one, I think."

Mac chuckled, nodding. "I wonder where Lily is," Mac said, looking towards the stairs.

"Ih-wee cwy," Mandy told them. "Unna Dack go."

"Lily cried when Uncle Jack left?" Mac asked, concerned.

Mandy nodded. "Ih-wee cwy."

"I'd better go talk to her," Mac said, standing. "Will you be okay here with her for a little while?"

"We'll be just fine," Harm assured her. "Go ahead."

Mac kissed both of them on the forehead, before heading up to find Lily.

Harm lay there with Miranda lying on his chest, gently stroking her hair. Every now and again he would kiss the top of her head, until they had both dropped off to sleep.

Frank, Trish, Grammy Sarah and Mattie came in from their shopping trip, moving to the living room to relax for a few minutes, and were surprised to see Harm lying on the sofa, with Mandy lying on top of him, both sound asleep.

"I've got to get a picture of that," Trish smiled, moving to the den to retrieve her camera. She came out and quickly snapped the photo, checking the LCD display and smiling in satisfaction, before setting the camera on the fireplace mantle.

"I didn't know Dad was coming home today," Mattie said, as she followed the adults into the kitchen, to avoid waking them up.

"Mac didn't mention it," Trish said. "Maybe she wanted to surprise us?"

"Speaking of Mom," Mattie frowned. "If Dad and Mandy are sleeping out there, where is she?"

"Probably upstairs taking care of Christopher," Grammy said. "If she's not down soon, you can go look for her. In the meantime, why don't we make lunch?"

Mattie nodded, and moved to help her Great Grandmother with the afternoon meal.

**11:34 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Mac checked in the nursery first, and when she didn't find Lily or Chris there, she knocked on the door across the hall where Lily was staying. "Lily? It's Mac… may I come in?"

"Of course, Mac," Lily answered.

Mac opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind her. "Harm's home," she told her. "He's downstairs on the sofa with Mandy. She came running as soon as she saw him."

Lily looked immediately concerned. "She was asleep when I left her… she knows not go up or down the stairs alone! Someone must have left the baby gates open; I'm sure I locked them before I brought Chris in here."

"It's okay," Mac assured her. "She's fine. I'll remind everyone again about making sure they're locked."

"I wasn't expecting Harm to come home today," Lily said. "I bet he's happy to be out of there."

"Oh, yes," Mac smiled. "I wasn't expecting it, either. I got there, and Dr. Bartlett was there checking him out, and asked if he wanted to come home today. He was ecstatic."

"I bet," Lily said, smiling. "How long until we can head back to Clifton?"

"Probably another couple of weeks… I figure we're coming up on the holidays now, so we might as well stay… of course, you're not obligated to," Mac told her.

Lily nodded. "I know; I want to stay."

Mac hesitated a moment, before speaking. "Mandy said you cried when Jack left. Is everything okay?"

Lily closed her eyes, embarrassed. "Yeah; I'm just kind of worried about him going out on another mission. He blew it off, like he did last time, but I can't help but be concerned; especially when he's headed out towards the Sea of Japan. "

Mac smiled tightly, nodding, and looked down. "The hazards of loving a pilot," she said, looking back up at Lily.

Lily opened her mouth, then immediately closed it and sighed. "Yeah."

"So… are you in love with him?" Mac asked, raising both eyebrows.

"I'm not sure? I mean, I like being with him; he's fun and saucy, and heaven knows he's great in~" she stopped, eyes wide, and blushed furiously, looking down at Christopher's sleeping face. "Anyway… I don't know if it's love, or infatuation. How do I tell the difference? I've never been in love before."

Mac smiled at Lily's slip-up, but looked surprised when Lily told her that she'd never been in love before. "Hmm… that's the tough part," Mac agreed. "For me, with Harm, even when it felt like I was going through men like Kleenex, his was the first face I wanted to see every morning, and the last one I wanted to see every night. Even when he made me so angry I could hardly see straight, I still just wanted him to take me in his arms and never let me go. When something good happened to me, he was the first person I wanted to tell about it, and when something bad happened, he was the only one I wanted to comfort me… and I still feel that way about him. I don't think there's any way I can explain to you what being in love is; it's just something your heart knows."

"What about the age difference?" Lily asked, wincing slightly.

"Does it matter to you?" Mac asked.

"No," Lily replied immediately, and with complete confidence.

Mac shrugged. "Then who cares what anyone else thinks? If you love someone, it shouldn't matter what others think."

Lily nodded. "Thanks, Mac," she smiled, as Chris opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at his mother, before smiling his broad, toothless grin.

"No problem," Mac said, smiling back at Lily, and then lifting Chris. "How is my boy?" she cooed. "I'm going to take him downstairs to see his daddy," she told Lily. "See you in a bit?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "Thanks, again."

Mac nodded and carried her son across the hall to check his diaper, before carrying him downstairs. She smiled at the sight of Harm and Miranda sound asleep on the sofa, before heading towards the kitchen, where she could hear voices talking in hushed tones.

"Hi Mom," Mattie said, as Mac came in with Chris. "You didn't tell us Dad was coming home today."

"I didn't know he was coming home, until I got to the hospital," Mac answered, smiling. "Dr. Bartlett agreed to release him, on the condition that he goes in for PT everyday for the next three weeks. They'll work out some kind of schedule after that, but probably two to three times a week for a couple more weeks. He'll have to continue with PT on his leg at Bethesda, after we get home."

"So we're staying for Thanksgiving for sure, and probably Christmas," Mattie stated, nodding. "I was kinda hoping to be home by then… I really miss Troy."

Mac gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know, sweetie," she said. "Grampa AJ said that they're planning a big ceremony at the White House after New Year's to give your Dad his awards, so we thought that it might be nice to stay here until after Christmas. He hated having to spend his birthday on the carrier; he wants to be around the family for the holidays."

Mattie nodded, shrugging. "I know; it's okay." She looked at her watch and calculated the time back east, before looking at Mac. "I'm gonna go see if Troy's online; he should be home by now." She grabbed the plate with her lunch on it, and headed up the stairs.

Mac watched her go, and sighed. "This has been so hard for her."

"It's been hard for all of you," Grammy said, taking Chris from her and nodding to her plate. "Eat; I'll hold this cute little boy for awhile."

Mac smiled tiredly, as she sat down and took a bite of her sandwich.

**20:35 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm sat beside Mattie on the sofa, helping her with her math, while Mac and Lily got the little ones down for the night.

"See… right here," Harm was saying, "you subtracted, when you should have divided."

Mattie looked at it again, rolled her eyes, and nodded. "How could I have missed that?"

Harm chuckled. "It happens to the best of us," he smiled, kissing her forehead. He watched as she re-did the problem, and then nodded. "That's it."

"Thanks, Dad," Mattie said, closing the math window on her computer. "I think I'm going to go upstairs to write my English paper, then I've gotta read three chapters of 'Pride and Prejudice'."

"No chatting until your homework's done," Harm reminded her with a smile.

"I know, I know," Mattie said, rolling her eyes, but grinning just the same. "G'night."

"Night," Harm said, watching her walk upstairs.

Frank came in from the den and handed Harm a glass of scotch. "You're a great father," he told him. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad," Harm said, sipping at his drink. "Sometimes I don't feel like I'm paying enough attention to them individually, you know?"

"That is not true," he told him. "You and Mac do a great job of making time for your children, individually, as well as together."

Harm was quiet for a few minutes, before he finally spoke. "After Chris was born, and Mac nearly died, her doctor said that she'd frozen Mac's eggs… in case we ever wanted to have more of our own children via surrogate. I'm beginning to wonder if three is all we should have."

Frank leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands in front of him. "Harm. Your family has been through more in two years, than most families go through in a lifetime," he said softly. "You've faced a lot of tragedies and challenges, and you've had a lot of happiness, but it has only been two years. You and Mac may feel the need to 'catch up', as it were, for the years you feel you wasted, but there's no hurry, Son. Chris is not even six months old, yet… why don't you try living day to day for awhile, and see how it goes? Mattie will be heading off to college in a year and a half, and I understand that you are seriously considering retirement from the Navy. With the money Harmony left you, you don't have to rush into anything right now. Concentrate on getting back to a hundred percent, and see how things go."

Harm sat sipping at his drink and silently contemplating what Frank had said. After several moments, he nodded slowly. "You're right," he said. "Thank you."

Frank smiled at him. "My pleasure." He sipped at his drink again. "Now, I have business in Washington; I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I'm planning on checking out the remodel on your house; AJ says it's done, has passed all the inspections, and it looks great… we were thinking of doing Chris' room as a surprise for Mac. Think we should?"

"You know she wants a teddy bear/airplane theme, right?" Harm asked.

Frank chuckled, nodding. "We know. She even showed Trish the stuff she had picked out when they were online the other night. It's really rather adorable."

Harm hesitated a moment more. "Okay," he finally said, nodding. "Go ahead. I think she might like that."

"Don't worry," Frank assured him. "If she doesn't like it, we'll pretend you had nothing to do with it."

Harm grinned. "I appreciate that."


	72. Chapter 72

A/N: This was a tough chapter to write, and still keep a T rating, but it was just _begging_ me to write it! I think I pulled it off. For those that have asked, the inspiration for Miranda is twofold: In looks and the way she talks, she is based on my youngest, but her personality is a combination of all three of my girls (now ages 24, 19, and 16). I've taken events from my life, and the adventure of raising three girls, and written them into this story. As always, THANK YOU for the awesome reviews! They keep me motivated to keep writing! Enjoy...

**16:30 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

**2 Weeks Later~ Thanksgiving Day**

The women finished getting dinner on the table, while Frank placed Miranda into her high chair, and Lily put Chris into his, and everyone sat down to dinner.

After taking the time to say what they were thankful for, the main one being that Harm was home safe, Frank said the blessing and then they all dug in.

"I've been looking at some colleges I might be interested in," Mattie said, passing the mashed potatoes to Keeter.

Harm looked up, frowning slightly. "Already?"

"Dad, it's less than two years away," she reminded him. "If I want to get into a good school, I have to start thinking about it now."

"I know," he acknowledged, dishing some sweet potatoes onto Mandy's plate for her. "It just seems like it's coming so fast. Before I know it, Chris will be heading off to college."

Mac smiled sympathetically at him, but leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I have some ideas as to what we could do once all the kids are gone."

Harm whipped his head around to look at her, eyes wide and blushing furiously, but then he smiled and kissed her. "I'd love to hear them," he told her softly.

"Okay, no PDA at the dinner table," Keeter declared. "Some of us want to eat."

Lily reached over, under the table cloth, and grabbed his knee, causing him to jerk suddenly and almost knock over his water glass. She grinned at him, raising both eyebrows in challenge.

"Okay children," Grammy said. "Let's save it until after dinner."

"Yes, ma'am," Harm, Mac, Lily and Jack all said in unison, causing everyone to laugh.

Miranda and Chris laughed, too, though they had no idea what was so funny.

"Tell us about the schools you've been looking at," Mac said, feeding Chris a spoonful of mashed potatoes and gravy, much to the six-month old's delight.

"Well, I like Georgetown U, mostly because it is close to home," she began. "I could commute, instead of staying in a dorm."

"True," Harm agreed. "You could live at home, or you could live in the dorms, but still be close enough to visit as much as you like."

Mattie nodded. "I also like USC," she said. "I love the weather here in Southern California, I could live in the dorms, but still be close to Gramma and Grampa."

"It would be lovely to have you close by," Trish smiled. "Frank and I get up to L.A. several times a month, so we could always visit you, as well."

Mattie nodded again. "My other choice is a bit harder… I've got the grades, and we can certainly afford it, but it's kinda far away."

"Mats, you covered the Eastern and Western seaboard; how far away…" Harm trailed off and his eyes widened. "Overseas?"

Mattie nodded. "It's the University of London in Paris," she said.

Harm looked pleadingly at Mac, who took a deep breath.

"Why would you want to go to school there?" she asked, sincerely interested in Mattie's reasons.

"Well, it would actually only be for a year," Mattie told them. "It's a one year undergraduate program, to study abroad in one of the greatest cities in the world. I would then have the option to transfer to London, or to an American University, to continue my undergraduate degree. Once I've obtained an Associate of Arts, I can move to the next level, if I decide that's what I want to do."

"That's all very good information," Mac smiled. "But you still haven't told us _why_ you'd like to study overseas."

Mattie stirred her cranberry sauce around with her fork, mulling over the answer to that question. "I guess it's partly because I grew up in a small town… our house was nice, but we were considered pretty poor. People used to always tell my mom and dad that we'd never amount to anything more than some country hicks that were trying to make a go of a worthless business; that I would never be anything more than an unschooled girl that ended up barefoot and pregnant by the time I was twenty. I want to travel and see the world; experience life. I want to see all the great historic cities of the world, and learn new languages. But I want to prove all of those people wrong, too. I want to study and get a college degree, I want to get my pilot's license, I want to one day be able to go home to Blacksburg, and have all of those people that said that I would never be anything, see how wrong they were."

Mac smiled tenderly at her. "I understand exactly how you feel," she told her quietly, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "After my father retired from the Marines, we lived in a trailer park. I was teased mercilessly about it; called every derogatory name you can think of… and it was especially bad because my father was the town drunk, and everyone knew it. When my father died, I thought I would get a lot of satisfaction out of going home and letting everyone see that I had made something of myself; that I was a Marine, and a successful lawyer. But when I finally got home, I found that I really didn't care what they thought. I was happy with who I was, and what I had made of my life, and I didn't care if anyone else was pleased by that or not.

"If you decide you really want to study in Paris, or London, or somewhere else overseas, we will make that happen for you. But do it for yourself, Mattie. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks, because in the long run, it's _your_ face you have to look at in the mirror every morning."

Mattie looked at Harm, who smiled lovingly at her and nodded. "Thank you," she said. "You two are the best parents anyone could ask for."

Harm and Mac smiled at each other, just before Mandy threw a handful of mashed potatoes at Keeter, laughing hysterically.

"Oh, no you did not," Mac said, standing. "Miranda Joy, time out." She moved Mandy's high chair across the room and turned it to face the corner. She turned to see all of the adults trying very hard not to laugh, including Keeter, who was wiping mashed potatoes out of his hair with a napkin, as Mandy started crying in the corner.

"Sowwy," she cried, putting her forehead on the tray of her high chair. "Sowwy!"

"Mandy," Mac said, trying to be stern. "No talking in time out."

Mandy whimpered pitifully for a few minutes, before Mac finally moved over to her high chair, turning it to face her. "Are you ready to behave?"

Mandy sniffled, bottom lip trembling, and nodded.

"Tell Uncle Jack you're sorry," she instructed.

Mandy looked at Keeter with her big, watery brown eyes. "Sowwy."

"Okay," Jack said, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

Mac moved her high chair back over to the table, and gave her plate back to her. "Eat your food," she told her. "If you do that again, you're going to bed."

Mandy nodded, looking up at Mac. "Sowwy," she said softly.

"I know," Mac said, leaning down to her. "Give me a kiss."

Mandy kissed her mother, and then sniffled again. "Uvoo."

"I love you, too," Mac told her gently, resuming her seat beside Harm.

Harm shook his head. "I'm going to lose a _lot _of sleep over that one," he muttered.

At that point, no one could hold it in any longer, and they all finally burst into laughter, until they were wiping tears from their eyes.

**08:47 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

**Next Day**

Harm carefully limped down the stairs in his walking cast, thankful that the doctor had seen fit to change it several days before. He'd been stuck sleeping in a twin bed in the den, up until they'd changed his cast, and he was happy to be able to finally share a bed with his wife again, even if he'd been startled out of a dead sleep when Mandy had climbed up into the bed with them and began bouncing excitedly up and down at 05:40 that first morning.

Frank and Keeter were just entering the house with a very large Christmas tree, and Harm had to grab Miranda by the back of her jumper to keep her from getting trampled by the two men and the huge pine.

Mac came in from the kitchen with Chris, just in time to see Harm catch Mandy. "Thank you," she told him, kissing him tenderly. "She's been running full speed ahead all morning. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," he assured her, sitting in the recliner and accepting his son from her. He kissed the baby boy, and held him in a standing position on his lap, gently bouncing him up and down and cooing at him in baby-talk.

Keeter stood watching for several minutes, grinning. "Never thought I'd see the day, Hammer," he said.

Harm looked up at his friend and shrugged, before kissing his son and returning to the game they were playing. "You should think about settling down and starting a family of your own," Harm told him. "It's not as overrated as you might think."

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe."

The rest of the females in the family came in from the garage carrying several plastic totes full of Christmas ornaments, lights, and other decorations.

"There's more in the garage that needs to be brought inside, dear," Trish told Frank. "You and Keeter can go and get those for us, can't you?"

"Of course we can, my love," Frank said.

Keeter looked at Harm for a minute, and then shook his head. "Next time, _I'm _going to punch out of an F14 and let _you_ do all the grunt work."

Lily's eyes widened, as Harm laughed at his old friend.

"How can he joke about that?" Lily asked, after Keeter and Frank disappeared through the kitchen.

"Don't worry," Harm assured her. "He takes it more seriously than he's letting on."

An hour later, Frank and Keeter had the lights all on the tree, and Mattie and Trish had gotten the garland put on. Grammy opened the tote with all of the ornaments, and nodded to Mac to bring Mandy over.

Mac encouraged Mandy to take the ornament, and then showed her how to put it on the tree. "See? Pretty," she told the toddler.

"Piddy," Mandy nodded, looking at Harm. "Daddy! Piddy!"

Harm smiled. "Very pretty," he said. "Help Mommy with more."

"Okay," she said, taking another one and putting it on the tree right next to the first one. "Piddy!" she exclaimed.

They spent the next forty-five minutes decorating the tree, taking turns lifting Mandy so that she could place ornaments on it. Each time, Mandy would declare that it was 'piddy', before moving on to the next one.

They spent the rest of the day helping Trish and Frank decorate the house for Christmas, and then they had Thanksgiving left-over's for dinner.

As soon as it was dark outside, the family gathered in the living room again and Trish turned down the lights.

"Watch, Mandy," Harm said, holding her on his lap and pointing towards the tree, while Mac did the same with Chris.

Frank flipped the switch to turn on the lights of the Christmas tree, and Mandy's eyes widened, her mouth forming an 'o' as she gasped in delight.

"PIDDY!!" Mandy squealed happily, pointing at the lights. "Mama! Piddy!"

"I see," Mac smiled at her, before looking at Chris, whose eyes were as big as saucers as he watched the multi-colored twinkling lights.

"Daddy! Piddy!" Mandy said, putting her small palm on his cheek and turning his face towards the tree.

"It is very pretty," he said, kissing her cheek. "You can go look, but _don't _touch."

"Okay," she said, as Harm set her on the floor. She scampered over to stand in front of the huge tree, craning her neck to look up to the angel sitting on top, her mouth hanging open in awe.

Mac handed Chris to Trish, who sat on the floor on a blanket, and called Mandy to come over and join them, and then she moved to sit in her husband's lap, kissing him tenderly. "Is this okay?" she asked him softly.

"More than okay," he nodded.

"I'm not hurting you?"

"Not at all," he said, shaking his head and then kissing her again.

They all sat there in silence, just watching the lights of the tree for awhile, listening to the Christmas music Frank had turned on before joining his wife and grandchildren on the blanket on the floor.

"Why don't we see if we can get the kids to bed early?" Harm murmured in Mac's ear.

Mac pulled back and looked at him, eyebrows raised. "What about your broken leg?"

Harm shrugged. "We'll figure something out," he told her, kissing the hollow behind her ear. "We did agree to take turns being on top," he whispered.

Mac gave him a smoldering look and nodded. "Hmm… we did," she agreed. She kissed him again, quickly, and then stood. "Lily, would you help me get the kids ready for bed?"

Lily, who wasn't as oblivious as Mac had hoped, smiled at her friend and nodded. "Come on Mandy," she called to the toddler. "It's time to take a bath."

Mandy jumped up and ran to Lily, arms raised. "Baf!" she exclaimed happily.

Mac took Chris from Frank and followed Lily up the stairs, winking at Harm as she passed him.

**20:18 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Mac turned out the nursery light, closing the door and setting the baby monitor on the bedside table, and climbed into the bed next to Harm, cuddling up next to him.

"Kids asleep?" he asked, setting his book aside and rolling them so that he was partially on top of her.

"They are," she said, smiling.

"Good," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her deeply. He nuzzled her neck before pulling back to look into her eyes. "I've missed you," he told her. "I love you, so much."

"Mmm…" she murmured. "I missed you, and love you, too," she told him, pulling him down for another electrifying kiss.

Harm ran his palm along her arm, caressing her skin.

They took their time kissing, caressing, and undressing each other. When they were finally joined together, Harm looked up into his wife's eyes and then pulled her down to him, giving her an intense kiss that completely expressed his love for her.

A motion out of the corner of their eye caused them to turn their heads, to see Mandy lying across the bed beside them, her chin in her palms, propped up on her elbows.

"Hi," she said, smiling innocently at them.

Mac blinked at the toddler, then down at her mortified husband, and shook her head. "Mandy, you're supposed to be in bed, sleeping," she told her.

"No seep," she said, shaking her head.

"Go back to your bed," Mac insisted. "I'll be right there."

"No seep!" she said stubbornly, sitting up on her knees and crossing her arms in front of her. "No seep!"

"Go to your bed, now!" Mac said sternly, pointing towards the nursery.

Mandy's eyes widened, and she climbed off the bed and moved to the nursery door in a hurry, recognizing the tone of her mother's voice.

Mac kissed Harm, moving off of him and pulling on her robe.

"Daddy boy!" Mandy said in awe, from the doorway.

Harm jumped, pulling a pillow from behind him to cover himself, eyes wide.

Mac, who now had her robe on, pointed towards the nursery as she quickly made her way across the room. "Bed, young lady! Now!"

"Daddy boy, Mama!" Mandy exclaimed, as she made her way back into the nursery.

"I know," Mac said, before closing the door between the two rooms.

Harm lay there, afraid to move, until he heard Mac come back into the room, this time locking the door between their room and the nursery, and then the door from their room to the hallway.

"She's finally down," Mac said. "I don't know why that child won't sleep." She removed her robe, climbing back into the bed, this time pulling the sheet up over them, before kissing Harm again. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, concerned. "You okay?"

"Why did she say that I'm a boy?" he asked, frowning slightly.

Mac let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "One morning while I was changing Chris, she pointed to him and asked me what… _that_… was. I told her, and then she looked down into her diaper and back at me, frowning, and asked me where hers was. I told her that she was a girl, like mommy, so she didn't have one. Only boys, like Chris, had one."

Harm closed his eyes, blushing to the roots of his hair. "Greeaatt," he said, shaking his head. "Never a dull moment," he said, finally laughing.

Mac joined his laughter. "I hear it just gets more interesting," she quipped, before finally moving to kiss him again. "Now, Captain Rabb, where were we?"

"Are you sure she's not going to interrupt again?" he asked, brushing the hair from Mac's eyes.

"Unless she's figured out how to unlock a door from the inside," Mac grinned. "I'm sure."

"I don't know, our little Houdini might pull it off," he said, kissing her neck.

"I hope not," Mac chuckled. "I'd really hate to have to tie her to the bed so we could get some time alone."

"I think there are laws against that," Harm said.

"Harm?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking."

"Yes, ma'am."

Mac grinned down at him, before reaching over and flipping off the light.


	73. Chapter 73

Okay, here's another chapter~ finally! Thank you to everyone that reviewed, it is always appreciated, as it keeps me motivated to keep writing! Enjoy...

**04:03 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Mac sat up and looked frantically around, the bed jarring violently, shaking her sleeping husband by the shoulder. "Harm! Harm!" she said urgently. "Earthquake!"

Harm bolted upright, wincing as pain shot down his broken leg. "Get the kids," he said, rolling out of bed, grateful that he and Mac had gotten dressed in pajamas and unlocked the doors, before going to sleep earlier.

Mac ran to the nursery, noticing that Miranda wasn't in her bed, as she lifted Chris from the crib and held him close to her, resisting the urge to panic. "Miranda?" she called, kneeling to look under the crib and the toddler bed. When she wasn't there, Mac checked the closet, before rushing frantically into the hallway where the rest of the family was already gathering.

Keeter and Lily came out of her bedroom, both wrapping robes around them, when Mac joined them.

"Mandy's not in her bed; she's not in the nursery," she said, handing the now screaming Chris to Harm, as the quaking came to a halt.

Everyone stilled momentarily, wondering if that was the end of it, except Mac, who was searching for her missing child.

"Mandy!" Mac called, hurrying back to their room and checking under the bed, in the bathroom, and in the closet. "She's not in there," she told everyone, as she rejoined them.

There was a distant rumble, like the sound of thunder, and the house began shaking again, much more violently this time.

"Find Mandy!" Mac said, frenetically. "The baby gate is locked, so she has to be upstairs!"

There was a loud crash, followed by Miranda's scream, and they could hear her crying downstairs.

"Mama!" she called hysterically. "Daddy!"

Mac didn't even stop as she pushed open the baby gate and rushed downstairs, fighting to stay upright as the house continued to rock and jerk violently.

"Mandy?" she called. "Where are you, baby?"

"Mama!" Mandy cried, from the vicinity of the downed Christmas tree.

Mac hurried over as Frank, Jack, and Lily joined her, and they all lifted the tree, to find Mandy curled up beneath it. Scooping the toddler into her arms, Mac pulled her close for a moment, before she began checking the child for injuries. "Are you okay?" she asked her, relieved that she seemed to be fine, other than a few minor scratches. The earthquake had again subsided, and the family had gathered in the living room.

"Is it over?" Mattie asked, her eyes fearful.

"Hard to say," Frank said honestly. "There could be aftershocks, or those could be precursors to something bigger. We'll just have to wait and see, but we need to stay calm, no matter what happens next."

"Bigger?" Mattie squeaked, as Harm wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him for a hug.

"Most likely, those were the big ones," he tried to reassure her. "But Dad's right; there could still be aftershocks."

"The downstairs hallway is the most sound place in the house," Frank said. "We need to move into there." He led them all to the small hallway, opening a closet door and pulling out stacks of pillows and blankets, handing them to everyone.

Harm handed Chris to his mother, wrapping a blanket around Grammy and putting a pillow down on the floor for her, before helping her to sit down on it.

Then he put another pillow down on the floor for Mac, holding Mandy so that she could sit down.

Trish handed Chris, who had gone from screaming to just whimpering, to Mac, watching as she covered up with a blanket so that she could nurse.

Lily sat down on Keeter's lap, wrapped in a blanket. "I'll take Mandy for a few minutes, Harm," she said softly.

Harm nodded, handing the toddler to Lily, who wrapped her in the blanket with her, before putting her head on Keeter's shoulder, lightly stroking Mandy's auburn curls and murmuring soft words of comfort.

Then he hugged Mattie tightly, kissing the top of her head, before wrapping her in a blanket and having her sit beside Mac. He made sure that Frank and his mother were all right, before easing himself down onto the floor beside Mattie, wrapping an arm around her.

Mandy looked up, still sniffling, and moved from Lily's lap to Harm's, snuggling into him when he wrapped another blanket around her, holding her with the arm that wasn't around Mattie.

There was another rumble, and another earthquake began, this one much smaller than the first two, and lasting for a much shorter period of time.

"Aftershock," Harm assured Mattie, who had tensed up. "It's okay."

"They should get smaller, and farther between, until they stop," Frank said. "Other than being frightened, is everyone okay?"

As soon as everyone assured him that they were all right, Frank nodded. "As soon as the sun comes up I need to check the house for structural damage."

"In the meantime," Harm said, "why don't we all try to get some rest?"

**06:14 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm had his arm around Mac as they watched their sleeping children, all three curled up together on the hall floor. They were listening to the portable radio Frank had pulled out of the closet, just before he'd gone to get dressed and check the house for structural damage, grateful that there hadn't been another aftershock for nearly an hour.

"Reports are still coming in on the two powerful earthquakes that awoke local residents this morning, just after four a.m.," the reporter was saying. "The first quake, a magnitude 6.5, centered 18 miles northeast of San Diego in the city of Poway, was followed minutes later by a larger quake, a magnitude 7.3. Residents as far east as Las Vegas are claiming to have felt the quakes. A series of smaller aftershocks followed the two quakes, but so far there hasn't been another one since the last one, a magnitude 4.7, fifty-seven minutes ago. Officials at the USGS are warning residents that more aftershocks may follow, and to be cautiously ready for anything. So far, there has been no reported loss of life, but structural damages are already estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Fire and rescue crews are at capacity, so please do not dial 9-1-1 unless you have a life or death emergency, or there is a fire."

"We need to get breakfast for everyone, but we shouldn't use the stove until we're sure the aftershocks have stopped," Trish said, moving to a standing position. "There's cereal, fruit, muffins, milk and juice. I'm going to start the coffee pot, but if another quake hits, we'll have to unplug it."

"That's fine, Mom," Harm said, as Mac moved to cover up Chris, since Mandy had rolled over to face Mattie and had pulled the blanket with her.

"I'll help you, Mom," Mac said.

"No," Trish said. "You stay here, close to your children."

Mac gave her a small, understanding smile and nodded. "Thanks."

"Jack and I will help you, Trish," Lily said, standing.

"Someone help me up and I'll help, too," Grammy insisted. "This floor is too hard for these old bones."

In minutes, Harm, Mac, and their children were the only ones left in the small hallway.

"God, what a morning," Mac sighed, closing her eyes and putting her head on Harm's shoulder. "I was absolutely terrified."

"First earthquake?" Harm asked, hugging her closer.

"Yeah," Mac nodded. "I've been less frightened when I was under enemy fire," she told him. "But I wasn't afraid for myself; I was terrified that something would happen to one of the kids. When Mandy wasn't in her bed… I've never been that scared before."

Harm nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Thank God she's okay. That tree falling on her could have killed her."

Mac nodded, swallowing back the sudden wash of tears in her eyes. "How did she get past the locked baby gates?"

"She had to have climbed over them," Harm said. "That's the only thing I can think of that makes sense."

Mac sighed, nodding again.

There was a slight rumble and the house shook lightly, almost as if something had run into the side of it, settling almost immediately.

"I think the worst of it is over," Harm told her. "That was the first aftershock in over an hour, and it was maybe a three pointer."

Mac blinked at him, and then chuckled softly. "Is this the biggest quake you've ever been through?"

"Hmm," Harm said thoughtfully, nodding slowly. "It might be. Though I think I may have been in one bigger when I was around six or seven."

"You probably think I'm overreacting," she said, looking expectantly up at him.

"Not at all," he reassured her, kissing her tenderly. "I think you're doing amazingly well, considering this is your first earthquake."

Trish and the others returned a few minutes later, setting the trays of food on the floor, before resuming their places.

Mac poured Harm a bowl of high-fiber cereal, added some milk and handed it to him, before taking a small plate and putting a muffin and some fruit on it and setting it beside him. Then she poured him a cup of coffee and set that beside him as well.

After she was sure he had everything he needed, she made her own breakfast and settled back down next to him, watching her sleeping children.

Frank entered the hallway a few moments later and settled back down beside Trish, accepting the cup of coffee she handed him and kissing her in thanks. "There's no structural damage to the house, and the cliff looks sound, so I think we're okay. As soon as things settle down some, I'll call my usual inspector and have him confirm it," he said. "I shut the gas off as a safety measure, and I set the tree back up; we only lost a few ornaments. Thankfully, most of the other decorations are anchored, so there wasn't a lot of damage in the rest of the house."

"I've been through this enough, that I've started anchoring everything down," Trish said, smiling. "I learned the hard way many years ago."

"That was the earthquake in '71, wasn't it?" Harm asked.

"Yes, it was," Trish said, surprised. "You remember that?"

"Vaguely," Harm said, shrugging. "I do remember there was quite a mess afterwards, though."

"That there was," Trish agreed, nodding slowly. "That was a bad one."

"That was the Sylmar quake, wasn't it?" Frank asked, taking a bite of his banana. "That was about the same size as the Northridge quake in '94. I think the one this morning was bigger, though. What did they say it was?"

"The second quake was a 7.3," Harm told him. "Much bigger than Sylmar, or Northridge."

Frank shook his head. "Thank God we're all safe."

Everyone nodded their agreement, as they finished breakfast in silence.

**21:47 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm looked across their sleeping children, to smile at his wife. There had only been two more small aftershocks the rest of the day, so life had resumed, though everyone was a bit on edge. When it had come time to put the kids to bed, Mandy had screamed and cried hysterically, which in turn had upset Chris, so Mac and Harm had taken them to bed with them. Now, all was quiet and the kids were sleeping soundly.

"Think we should try to move them to their own beds?" Mac asked softly.

"I think we might succeed with Chris, but Mandy probably is here for the night," he told her. Mandy had been clinging on to whomever would hold her all day, whimpering in fear every time she was set down for more than a couple of minutes.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Mac asked, carefully brushing the soft auburn curls from her baby girl's forehead.

"She'll be fine in a couple of days," Harm said. "She had a pretty big scare, so it might take her a few days to realize that she's safe."

Mac nodded, as she stood and gently lifted Chris, carrying him to the nursery next door and placing him in the crib. After covering him up, she went back into their bedroom, leaving the door open slightly.

"Did you talk to AJ?" Harm asked quietly, trying not to wake up Mandy.

"Yeah," she replied. "He said that they're all relieved that we're okay, and they'll see us after Christmas."

"Do you want to go home?" Harm asked.

"No," Mac said, looking up at him. The moon was shining in through their open curtains, and she could clearly see him lying across from her. "There's no need to. I also talked to Troy's parents and they are still fine with him flying out to surprise Mattie for Christmas. I told Chloe that we'll fly her to our house for the second half of her winter break, so she can spend New Year's and the rest of that week with us, since her dad is going to be home for Christmas and wants to spend it with her."

"That works for me," he said, smiling.

Mac lay back and closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

"You okay?" Harm asked, still propped up on his elbow, watching her.

"Mmm," Mac nodded. "Just tired. I realized I haven't even started Christmas shopping, and it's less than a month away."

Harm smiled at that. "We'll get it done, Mac, don't worry. We can order some stuff online, and with Lily, Mom, and Grammy here to help with the kids, we'll be able to go shopping almost whenever we want."

A tear slipped out of the corner of Mac's eye and she brushed it away.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Harm asked, reaching over and taking her hand in his.

"Just overwhelmed by everything that has happened lately, I guess," she shrugged.

"There's something more, isn't there?" Harm asked tenderly.

Mac shook her head. "It's silly," she said, trying to get him to drop it.

"Not if it has you upset," he replied. "Mac, sweetheart, tell me."

"I just… I'm just missing my mother more than usual this year," she said, shrugging again. "We haven't communicated much since my dad died, but when we do, it feels like we're making some progress. She went into therapy shortly after we met at the hostel where my dad died, did I tell you?"

Harm shook his head, surprised by this bit of information. "No, you didn't."

Mac nodded. "She went into a year-long intensive in-patient program, and has been continuing with out-patient therapy since. She's really been coming along, you know? I don't know why, all of a sudden, I'm missing her so much. She hasn't really been a part of my life for over twenty years."

Harm gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Have you talked to her lately?"

"I sent her a letter shortly after Chris was born, telling her about us, Mattie, Mandy… what happened when we lost the other two… and Chris," she told him. "She wrote me a lovely letter back, and said she was sorry she had missed so much of my life, including the more recent events. She told me she'd love to meet her grandchildren someday, if that's okay with us. We've traded a few emails since then, but nothing as serious as those letters."

"Where is she now?" Harm asked, kissing her knuckles.

"She's living in Seattle right now," Mac told him. "Her last email said that she had gotten a pretty decent job, had lost a hundred pounds, and was tentatively starting to date a very nice man that she'd met at a local coffee shop."

"So… call her," Harm suggested. "Invite her to come visit."

"Here?" Mac asked, surprised.

Harm shrugged. "If not here, then for New Year's at our house," he replied. "The house is plenty big enough now; both AJ and Frank said that the expansion turned out really nice and the house looks great. Invite your mother to come for a visit, so that she can meet her grandchildren, and the two of you can try to reconnect. We'll pay for her plane ticket, round trip, so that it's not a financial burden for her. All you can do is invite her, Mac; the rest is up to her."

Mac looked across the bed at her husband, tears streaming from her eyes. Caressing his cheek tenderly with her palm, she gave him a loving smile. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Sarah," he said softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she answered.

They continued to hold each other's hands and stare into one another's eyes for a long while. When Mac finally fell asleep, Harm carefully moved her hand so that it was resting on her abdomen, before leaning over to kiss her cheek. Then he leaned down and kissed Miranda's forehead, before settling in to sleep himself.


	74. Chapter 74

Hello all! Hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. This is a day later than I'd hoped, but you know how it goes. As always, THANK YOU to those that have reviewed! I REALLY appreciate it when you review! Enjoy...

**06:57 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

**Christmas Day**

Harm lifted his head when he heard the soft knock on the bedroom door. "Come in," he called softly, glancing at his still sleeping wife.

Mattie came in and moved to stand beside the bed. "Merry Christmas," she said, smiling.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," he replied, returning her smile.

He sat up and scooted over, patting the bed beside him. When she sat down, he leaned forward and hugged her, kissing the side of her head. "Are you the only one up?" he asked.

"No," Mattie answered. "Grammy, Gramma and Grampa are all up, and I think Jack and Lily are moving around in her room."

"Are Chris and Mandy still sleeping?" he asked her, glancing towards the nursery door.

"Yeah, but Chris was starting to squirm, so I think he's waking up," she told him. "I bet you and Mom are glad Mandy is finally sleeping in her bed again."

"Definitely," Harm smiled. "I was beginning to worry that she'd be sleeping with us until she was in college."

Mattie chuckled. "I don't see Mom letting that happen."

"Damn straight I wouldn't," came Mac's muffled reply from the other side of the bed.

Harm and Mattie chuckled. "Sorry, honey, we didn't mean to wake you," he said.

"It's okay," she replied, rolling over to face them. "If everyone else is awake, we should get up, too."

They could hear Chris begin to fuss through the baby monitor.

"That's my cue," Mac said, rolling out of bed and slipping her robe on.

"How's your leg feeling?" Mattie asked Harm, as Mac slipped into the nursery and closed the door behind her.

"Not bad," Harm said, nodding. "Still a little tender, but the doctor said that will pass as I get used to being without the cast."

Mattie nodded in understanding. "I'm going to go help Grammy and Gramma get breakfast ready; I'll see you guys downstairs in a bit."

Harm hugged her. "Okay." He watched as she slipped out the bedroom door, and heard her greet Lily and Keeter just before she closed it.

Climbing out of bed, he pulled on his robe and went to the nursery to help Mac with the kids. He smiled when he saw Mandy sitting up in the toddler bed, sleepily rubbing her eyes. "Morning, princess," he said, kneeling down to her level. "Merry Christmas."

Mandy smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Daddy," she said. "Uvoo."

"I love you, too," he said, kissing the top of her head. He stood, wincing as his leg protested, but continued to hold her to him.

Mac had just finished changing Christopher's diaper and lifted him up, turning to face Harm as she kissed her baby boy, making him laugh. She smiled at him, and then grabbed the blanket she used to cover up with when nursing.

"Let's go downstairs," she said. "I can nurse him while we eat."

"Sounds good," Harm agreed, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly. "Have I told you how much I love you recently?"

Mac smiled at him. "I love you, too. Come on; everyone probably wants to have breakfast, so they can open their presents, and Troy should be here any minute."

"Mattie's going to be so surprised," Harm grinned.

"Mmmhmm," Mac murmured, as they left the nursery. "Got the stairs okay?"

"I'm fine," he assured her, holding the rail with the hand that wasn't holding onto Miranda.

They entered the kitchen to find the whole family moving about to get breakfast on the table. Grammy had made Belgian waffles, while Trish had cooked the bacon and sausage, and Frank had made the eggs. Mattie had been making toast, while Lily cut up fresh fruit and Keeter got the coffee, milk and orange juice and set the table.

They had just gotten the food set on the table, when the doorbell rang.

"Mattie, get that, would you?" Harm said, glancing at Mac.

Mattie looked confused, but nodded. "Sure Dad," she said, giving the adults, who were all smiling, an odd look. She walked to the front door and peered out the peep hole, her heart dropping into her toes. Flinging the door open, she squealed excitedly as she flung herself into Troy's arms. "Oh my God!" she shrieked.

Troy smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her close. "Merry Christmas," he said. "Surprise!"

Mattie pulled away, looking at him. "How?"

"Your parents called my parents and arranged the whole thing," he told her. "They even bought my plane ticket. I actually got here last night, but they had me stay at a nearby hotel until this morning, so we could surprise you."

"_That's_ where my dad was last night?" she asked, shaking her head. "Come on, we're just starting breakfast."

Grabbing his hand, she waited for him to pick up his suitcase before leading him into the kitchen. As soon as they entered, everyone greeted Troy, wishing him a Merry Christmas.

Mattie hugged first Harm, and then Mac. "Thank you, so much, you guys," she said, grinning. "This is awesome!"

Harm winked at her. "Only the best for my girl."

"Come on, let's eat already," Keeter said. "I, for one, can't wait to open my Christmas presents!"

Everyone chuckled, and began passing the food around.

**08:28 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Breakfast was finished, the dishes were done, and everyone had finally gathered in the living room to open presents.

Frank was operating the video camera, while Harm and Mac were giving the kids (including Mattie and Troy) their Christmas presents.

Harm held Chris in his lap, while Mac held Mandy, and they helped them to open their presents.

Mandy had quickly caught on to the whole thing and was soon ripping the paper open, laughing delightedly at each new toy, or outfit, that she revealed.

Chris could only frown in puzzlement, smiling occasionally when Harm showed him how one of his new toys worked.

Mattie opened the gifts that she was given, thanking everyone in turn and setting them aside to watch Mandy and Chris, laughing when her sister got all excited over a new dress. "She already has a closet full of them," she told Troy, shaking her head. "That girl loves clothes."

"I thought all girls loved clothes," Troy said, giving her a teasing smile.

Mattie shrugged. "I wear them because they are necessary. I'm more comfortable in jeans and t-shirts than dresses, and I don't care about designer labels."

"Ma-ee!" Mandy called, running to her sister, holding her new dress. "Ma-ee! Dess!" She held the dress out to Mattie.

Mattie took it, holding it up against her, smiling. "It's very pretty, Mandy," she told her. "Tell Gramma and Grampa 'thank you'," she said, handing it back to her.

Mandy grabbed the dress, smiling proudly, running over to Frank and Trish. "Am-a, M'pa! Ank-ooh!" she said, holding her dress up. "Piddy!"

Trish and Frank smiled down at her. "You're welcome, Angel," Frank said. "Go open more presents!"

"Okay!" she said, scurrying back over to Mac, who handed her another gift to open.

Troy handed Mattie a box, smiling. "I only got you one thing, but when you open it, you'll know why."

Mattie looked at him, puzzled, and then smiled as she began to open it. Inside lay a beautiful golden heart-shaped locket necklace. Opening it, there was a picture of the two of them that they had taken at one of those photo booths in the mall, just before her dad's crash. "Oh, Troy! I love it!"

Troy smiled, relieved. He helped her put it on, accepting her hug when he did. "You're welcome," he said, a bit self-consciously, as all of the adults were watching them with broad smiles.

Once the kids were all finished opening their presents, and the little ones were happily playing with their new toys, the adults started opening their gifts.

Mac had gotten Harm a gold designer watch. It had three different time displays on the face, set at Zulu, Eastern Standard and Pacific; a compass, and a GPS chip. The engraving read: "For my Sailor; my Hero… now that we've found our way to each other, nothing will keep us apart. Love, Your Sarah"

"It's perfect, Mac," he said, leaning forward to kiss her. "Thank you."

"I figure you can change the time on the third display for whatever time zone you're in, but keep the Zulu and Eastern time the same," she told him. "Though I would hope that you won't be going anywhere without me for awhile," she smiled.

"Not if I can help it," he promised, kissing her again before handing her a box.

Mac smiled at him and opened the gift, gasping in surprise. Inside lay a gorgeous necklace, ring and bracelet set. The ring was gold with a heart-shaped ruby set in the center, with two round diamonds on either side. The necklace had a heart-shaped pendant, with rubies on one side and diamonds on the other, and the bracelet was a tennis-style bracelet with alternating open golden hearts, heart-shaped rubies, and round diamonds all around it.

"Harm… it's gorgeous," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you, so much."

"Not as gorgeous as you, Mac," Harm said, returning her smile. "The ring should fit the middle finger of your left hand," he told her. "That's the one I had it sized for, anyway."

Mac nodded, taking it out of the box and slipping it onto the finger he indicated. It fit perfectly. "Thank you, again." She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly.

"It must be the day for jewelry," Frank chuckled, as he handed Trish a box.

Trish raised both eyebrows as she opened the box and revealed a beautiful diamond and white-gold tennis bracelet. The 'x's' were made of white gold, and the 'o's' were diamonds.

"It's perfect," Trish smiled, kissing him. "Thank you."

Keeter shrugged, handing Lily a box and then grinning. "Guess it's my turn."

Lily looked genuinely surprised, as she tore open the wrapping on the box. Inside was a round pendant with alternating sapphires and diamonds, dangling from a golden chain. "Oh, Jack, it's lovely," she said, lifting it from the box and putting it on. "Thank you."

Jack blushed, ignoring Harm's amused expression, and kissed her cheek. "You're welcome," he said.

Grammy smiled at the young couples wistfully, remembering her late husband.

The opening of gifts continued until the last one was unwrapped, and then everyone headed upstairs to get dressed before it was time to start cooking Christmas Dinner.

**18:35 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm came into the living room from the kitchen after helping Keeter, Frank and Troy clean up. The women had decided that since they had cooked dinner, it was only fair that the men take KP duty.

Mac was sitting on the floor with Mandy in front of her and Chris in her lap, a children's Christmas music CD playing on the stereo. She was singing along with the song that was currently playing, making Mandy and Chris laugh as she made faces at them, or helped Chris to clap his hands.

Taking a seat in the chair nearby, he watched in amusement as she continued to sing along with the next song.

"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do. Don't want a doll, no dinky tinker toy, I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy," she sang, crinkling her nose at Mandy and making her laugh.

Harm laughed along, the absolute happiness that lit up his wife's features warming him. After all of the things they had gone through over the years, true happiness was something he had once despaired of ever knowing, and he was fairly sure Mac had felt the same way at one point or another.

"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do. No crocodiles, or rhinoceroseses," she sang, clapping Chris' hands together, making him smile up at her with his toothless Rabb grin. "I only like hippopotamuseses. And hippopotamuses like me too," she smiled, tapping Mandy on the nose, causing the toddler to laugh hysterically.

Mac laughed, a musical, joyful laugh, as she kissed her son's cheek and then kissed Mandy. "Are you ready for your bath?" she asked.

Mandy nodded her head, bouncing happily up and down. "Baf!" she exclaimed.

"Cis baf?" she asked Mac.

"Chris will get his own bath, later," Mac told her.

"Cis boy," she told Mac.

"Yep," Mac said, putting Chris down on the floor and watching as he rocked back and forth on his hands and knees before crawling towards Harm, babbling excitedly.

"Daddy boy!" Mandy exclaimed, pointing.

Harm gave her a tight smile, blushing.

Mac resisted the urge to laugh at her husband's embarrassment. "Yes, he is," she said, nodding. "Come on; let's go get you your bath." She stood up and lifted Mandy into her arms, before winking at Harm and carrying Mandy up the stairs.

Harm lifted Chris into his arms when he reached the chair he was sitting in, kissing his cheek. "How's my boy?" he asked.

Chris smiled at his father, drooling all over him as he chewed on his fingers.

"Ugh, Chris!" Harm exclaimed, grabbing the cloth diaper Mac used to clean up baby drool and wiping it off of himself and Chris.

Chris bounced up and down, laughing.

"Say 'Dada'," Harm coached him.

Chris smiled again, still bouncing as Harm held him in a standing position.

"Come on," Harm said. "Say 'Dada'."

Chris laughed, looking over at the Christmas tree and pointing at it.

"He's not buying it," Keeter told him, laughing. "I hear Mandy said 'Dada' first, so it would serve you right if Chris said 'Mama' first."

Harm rolled his eyes, standing and moving to the Christmas tree so Chris could see it up close. He had to stop him from pulling an ornament off of the tree, but he lifted the ornament that Mac had bought for him off of the tree and held it in front of him so he could see it.

Mac had decided last Christmas, when Mandy was a baby, that she would buy, or make, each of their children a Christmas ornament every year so that when they were all grown up, they would have a box full of Christmas memories to take with them when they left home.

Harm, of course, loved the idea.

He showed Chris the teddy bear on a rocking horse with a blue ribbon. The bottom of the rocking horse read 'Baby's First Christmas 2005' on one side, and had 'Christopher Franklin Rabb' on the other side. He put the ornament back on the tree, before he lifted the one Mac had bought for him off to show Chris.

His was a red and yellow bi-plane, towing a sleigh full of toys, and it had the year imprinted on it in gold.

Next he showed him Mandy's ornament. It was a pink butterfly, etched with the year and Mandy's name on the bottom of the wings.

Lastly, he held up Mattie's ornament. It was a silver snowflake photo ornament, with Mattie's current school photo inside. The back had 'Mathilda Grace Rabb 2005' engraved into it.

Chris pointed to Mattie's picture, smiling, before Harm placed the ornament back on the tree.

Kissing his son again, Harm went back to the chair he'd been sitting in, turning Chris so that he was sitting in his lap, watching the tree.

Keeter had been watching Harm interact with his son, and he sighed softly before hugging Lily closer to him. They had only been together just under two months, but Keeter was fairly sure that he'd finally found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He smiled slightly, thinking to himself that if he played his cards right, this time next year he might be a married man with a child of his own on the way.

**22:09 PST**

**Burnett Home**

**La Jolla, CA**

Harm was just about to enter his bedroom, when he saw Mattie knock on Troy's door and then enter the room. Raising an eyebrow and then frowning, he made his way down the hall, stopping just before he got to the door when he heard Troy's voice.

"Leave it open, Mattie," Troy said.

"Why?" Mattie asked, as Harm peered cautiously around the corner, seeing her sit on the side of Troy's bed beside him.

"Because your parents trust me, and have really great to me, and I don't want to do anything~ or even give them the wrong idea~ to make them not trust me anymore," he told her.

Mattie indicated the necklace she wore, that he'd gotten her for Christmas. "But I thought…"

"Mattie," Troy protested, surprised. "I got that for you because I really like you. I'm not expecting anything in return; especially not sex. I don't think either of us is ready for that yet, and honestly, I'm a bit disappointed that you would think that would be my motivation for giving it to you."

Mattie smiled broadly at him, suddenly hugging him. "I didn't know what to think," she told him. "I just thought because Chloe and Josh were sleeping together, that you thought we should, too. I'm very relieved that you don't think we're ready, either."

Troy smiled, finally hugging her back. "Josh and Chloe are playing with fire, Mattie; you know that. Not only am I not ready for the emotional stuff that comes with having sex, I'm _definitely_ not ready to be a dad anytime soon, so I am _not_ gonna tempt fate."

Mattie chuckled, pulling away from him and nodding. "So I'll see you in the morning? Dad says we're all heading to L.A. to go to Disneyland. He said that Christmas at Disneyland is something we've gotta see."

Troy nodded, kissing her forehead. "I'm looking forward to it. Now you'd better get back to your room, before someone comes looking for you."

Harm hastily moved to his room, slipping inside before Mattie could catch him. He heard her door close, and peered out to see Troy go back into his room and close his own door.

Smiling proudly, he closed their bedroom door and turned, to find Mac standing there giving him an odd, questioning look.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Harm told her what he'd just overheard, still smiling proudly. "I'm really proud of them," he said. "For making the right decision, and being so grown-up in their discussion about it."

Mac, however, had a deep scowl on her face.

"Mac?" Harm asked. "What's wrong?"

"Chloe and Josh are having sex?" she asked, still frowning. "I'm gonna kill him."

Harm blinked, as his eyes widened suddenly. "Oh, crap. That didn't even sink in until just now."

Mac shook her head, sitting on the bed. "What are they thinking?"

Harm sat beside her, sighing. "Something tells me, they aren't doing much thinking at all… which is the problem."

Mac looked at him, nodded, and then sighed. "Well, it's too late for me to call her tonight."

"We're gonna have to tread lightly here, Mac," Harm told her. "Mattie didn't tell us outright, so I'd hate for Chloe to think that she ratted her out."

"You're right," Mac said. "I just worry about her, you know? It's not easy not having a mother around to talk to about these things. She and I talked a little about it when she was visiting us, but I thought she had decided against it."

"Speaking of mothers, and not to change the subject," Harm said, taking her hand in his. "Are you ready to see yours on New Year's?"

Mac swallowed, giving him a tight smile. "I think so. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, you know? Just in case she backs out."

Harm hugged her close to him. "I understand," he told her. "So, tomorrow you can call Chloe and I'll call Josh… and I'll tell Mattie that I overheard her conversation and that now that we know about them, we have to talk to them, so she's not surprised if Chloe confronts her about it. We'll have to do it before we leave for Disneyland."

Mac nodded, but suddenly leaned back, frowning. "You know what? No."

"No?" Harm asked, confused.

"No," Mac said again. "Tomorrow we are taking our family to Disneyland, and we're going to enjoy the day together. We can deal with the Chloe and Josh situation when she gets to our house on New Year's."

Harm raised both eyebrows at this. "You sure? With your mom coming too?"

"I'm sure," Mac insisted. "I love Chloe, but she has a father, and she is his responsibility. Besides, if they're having sex, it's when she's visiting us… so we'll deal with it when she gets there. I can handle that, and my mom, too."

Harm smiled before he leaned in and kissed her deeply. "I'm proud of you, Mac."

Mac returned his smile. "Thanks. Let's just enjoy the Magic Kingdom tomorrow with our family."

Harm undid the belt of her robe, kissing her again before he nuzzled her ear. "Why don't we lock the doors and make a little magic of our own?"

Mac gave him a sultry smile. "Absolutely," she breathed, before moving to lock the doors to their room.


	75. Chapter 75

A/N: As always, I don't own JAG (wish I did!) and no infringement is intended. All mistakes are mine. THANK YOU!! to everyone that has reviewed! You are keeping me motivated! Enjoy...

**08:47 PST**

**North Island NAS Halsey Field**

**San Diego, CA**

**Three Days Later**

Harm, Jack and Frank finished loading the last of everyone's things into the cargo hold of the Cessna and rejoined the family, who was saying goodbye to Trish.

After there were hugs and kisses all around, and promises to call and visit soon, Trish grabbed her son and hugged him tight for a few moments.

"Be safe, Harmon," she said softly. "I love you."

Harm kissed his mother's temple. "I love you, too, Mom," he said, hugging her close.

She released him and smiled, stepping back to watch as they all moved onto the plane, kissing her husband's cheek when he wrapped an arm around her waist.

As soon as they were all on board, Frank and Trish got into the van and drove to the designated area for them to watch the takeoff.

On board, Harm and Jack headed for the cockpit. Harm took the pilot's seat and Jack took the co-pilot's chair, as they began warming up the engines and preparing for takeoff.

Mac and Lily got the babies settled into their car seats, while Mattie, Troy and Grammy (who was traveling part of the way home with them) took their seats and buckled in.

Harm looked back into the passenger cabin and made sure everyone was seated, before he called to the tower that they were ready for takeoff.

In just a few minutes, they were taxiing down the runway, ready to take to the air.

Jack pointed out the window. "Looks like they're here to see you off."

Harm looked out and saw a sea of soldiers standing at attention. Blinking back tears, he saluted them in return before getting the plane in the air. He dipped the wings to wave 'goodbye', before turning the plane eastward.

As soon as they had reached their cruising altitude, Jack left the cockpit to check on everyone. "Can I take Troy up front to see the cockpit?" Mattie asked.

Jack nodded to her. "Tell your dad I'll head back when you're done."

"Okay," Mattie said, leading Troy up front.

"Where Daddy?" Mandy asked Mac, holding her hands out, palms up.

"Daddy's flying the plane," Mac told her.

"Daddy fy?" Mandy asked, eyes wide.

Mac smiled at her. "Yeah, baby," she said. "Daddy's flying."

"I fy!" Mandy said. "Peeease?"

Mac looked at Jack with raised eyebrows. "What do you think?"

"When Mattie comes back, I'll go see what Hammer thinks," he told her. "But I don't see why not. She'll get a kick out of it."

Mac smiled, nodding her head.

Chris scrunched his nose and began to cry, sucking furiously on his fist for a moment before starting to cry again.

Mac took him from his car seat and sat with him in her seat, covering them with the blanket so that she could nurse.

Mattie and Troy came back about forty-five minutes later, taking their seats.

Jack kissed Lily's cheek and headed back up front. A couple of minutes later, he came back and told Mac that Harm had agreed to let Mandy come up front for a few minutes.

"There are sandwiches, bottled water, and soda in the mini-fridge, and some other snacks in the cupboard above that," Mac told them, as she lifted Mandy out of her car seat and grabbed the video and digital cameras. "Help yourselves to whatever you want."

She followed Jack, who now held Mandy, up to the cockpit.

"She videotapes everything," Mattie told Troy, grinning.

Troy smiled, looking at Lily and Grammy. "Would either of you like anything?"

"No, thank you, dear," Grammy said. "I appreciate you offering."

"I'm fine, Troy, thank you," Lily said, smiling at the teenager.

Troy nodded and followed Mattie to the back of the plane.

A few minutes later, snacks in hand, Troy and Mattie resumed their seats, buckling in.

Up front, Mac tucked the digital camera into a pocket before turning on the video camera to capture Miranda's first time in the cockpit of a plane.

Jack entered the cockpit and handed Mandy to Harm before taking his seat in the co-pilot's chair, smiling at the interaction between father and daughter.

"Daddy fy?" Mandy asked, as she looked at Harm with her big brown eyes.

Harm smiled at her, kissing her cheek. "That's right, princess," he said. "Daddy's flying." He turned her so that she was sitting on his lap and pointed out the windshield of the airplane. "Look, Mandy."

Mandy looked out, her eyes growing wide. She gasped and looked at Harm, pointing out the windshield. "Fy!" she said, turning her head to look at Harm.

"Yep," Harm said, smiling at her. "We're flying."

"I fy?" she asked.

Harm nodded. "That's right."

Mandy clapped her hands and laughed. "I fy!"

Harm laughed, glancing at Keeter, who was smiling broadly at the toddler.

"She's a natural," Keeter said.

Mandy grabbed the control wheel for the plane and Harm quickly double checked to be sure that the plane was still on autopilot before relaxing and letting her handle it. A flock of geese outside the port window caught his eyes, and he pointed to it.

"Mandy, look," he said. "Geese."

Mandy looked where her father was pointing and her eyes widened again, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "Birds!"

Harm nodded. "That's right. Those birds are called geese."

"Geese," she said, nodding. "Geese birds."

"That's right," Harm said, kissing her forehead.

"Geese fy!" she said, grabbing the wheel again. "I fy!"

Harm, Mac and Keeter all laughed, causing Mandy to laugh, too.

Mac slung the shoulder strap of the video camera over her shoulder and took some still shots, before putting the digital camera back into her pocket. "Okay, Miss," she said to Miranda. "Time to go back to the back so Daddy can fly us home."

"I fy!" Mandy told her.

"Yes, you did," she said. "Now it's time to come back with Mommy."

Mandy shook her head stubbornly. "No! I fy!"

"Miranda Joy," Harm said sternly. "Listen to your mother."

Mandy looked up at Harm, her eyes filling with tears and her bottom lip quivering. "I fy," she whimpered.

"You can fly another time," he promised. "Go with Mommy."

Mac took her from Harm and left the cockpit, closing the door that separated them from the back of the plane.

Harm winced as he heard Miranda start to cry. Her sobbed, "I fy!" just before the door closed nearly breaking his heart.

"I don't know how you do it," Keeter said. "She's too adorable to say no to."

"I have to keep reminding myself that if I let her do whatever she wants, she'll be impossible to handle when she's older," he told his friend. "It kills me not to give in to her most of the time."

"You and Sarah are amazing parents," Keeter told him. "I'm very impressed."

"Thanks," Harm said, smiling at his old friend. "You should consider joining the ranks."

Keeter glanced at him. "I'm giving it some serious thought."

Harm looked at him, surprised; he had just been teasing him. "Seriously?"

Keeter looked at him and nodded. "Seriously."

Harm smiled. "Well… good. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Keeter said, looking out the windshield. "Cause I have to tell you, I'm also scared to death."

Harm nodded. "Yeah, I remember how that felt. But I promise, it is completely worth it."

Keeter smiled at that. "I believe you."

**17:47 EST**

**Orange County Airport**

**Orange, VA**

Harm taxied the plane over to the hangar, bringing the plane to a complete stop and killing the engines. He waited for Keeter to leave the cockpit, before he double checked that everything was the way it was supposed to be and followed his friend to the passenger cabin.

Mandy and Chris were asleep in their car seats, and everyone else was already moving, gathering their things.

Harm opened the door of the plane and put the stairs down, before lifting Mandy out of her car seat and handing her to Lily. Unbuckling the car seat, he carried it down the steps of the plane and headed towards the area Mac's car was parked.

He quickly re-installed Mandy's car seat before starting the car and driving it over to the plane.

It didn't take long to get the babies in the car and then get everything else transferred over to the car, too.

"Lily, Mattie, and Troy are riding home with me," Jack told them. "Mac's car is too small for everybody. We're going to stop someplace and pick up dinner for everyone, so we'll be there soon."

"Is the house ready?" Mac asked Harm. "There's no way we'll all fit in the apartment."

"AJ said it's ready and waiting for us," Harm told her. "He said that he recruited Bud, Harriet, Sturgis and Varese and they all went and got the guest rooms ready. They also moved Mandy's toddler bed and the crib from the apartment to the house, and packed up the apartment and moved everything back to the house. It's all in the small garage, so we can unpack it later."

Mac nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Keeter nodded and they all moved towards his car.

"I have to go talk to the maintenance crew and check the plane in," Harm said. "Be back in a few minutes." He headed towards the hangar while Mac and Grammy got settled into the car.

In less than ten minutes, Harm was climbing into the passenger side of the car. "All set."

Mac nodded and put the car in gear, grateful to be on her way home.

"You okay to drive home?" Harm asked her.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

Harm nodded and settled in. "Much as I like this airport, I'm thinking I should look into one closer to home," he told her. "An hour is a long time to drive, just to get to our plane."

Mac raised both eyebrows and looked at him.

"I know, I know," Harm said, holding both hands up in front of him, palms out. "You told me that in the first place."

Mac just smiled at him, but didn't comment.

Grammy covered her smile with her palm.

An hour later, they pulled into their garage, happy to finally be home.

Mandy and Chris had both woken up, and Chris was just starting to get fussy.

Harm got out and opened the car door for his grandmother, helping her out before he reached in and pulled Chris out of his car seat.

Mac had gotten out and opened the other door, reaching back to pull Mandy out of her car seat before grabbing the diaper bag.

"Go with Daddy and Grammy," Mac told the toddler, setting her on her feet.

"Okay," Mandy said, taking Grammy's hand as they headed towards the door that led into the house.

Mac opened the back of the car and pulled out the kids' suitcase, wanting to get them settled before she worried about anything else. Closing the door, she followed Harm into the house, stopping to admire the larger family room, relieved that the decorator she'd hired had done it the way she'd wanted it the first time.

"Mac, come upstairs," Harm said from the top landing. "I want to show you something."

Figuring she had to go upstairs to unpack the kids' suitcase anyway, Mac headed up to see what her husband wanted.

Harm was waiting for her and led her to Chris' new room, which was across the hall from Mandy's, and nodded to her.

Mac opened the door and peered in, her eyes widening in shocked amazement. "Harm… how?"

Harm smiled. "AJ and my dad did it when Dad came out for his business trip," he told her. "They spent a whole day on it."

Mac stepped in, with Harm behind her, to admire the room.

The room had the teddy bear flying a biplane theme that she had found and picked out online. They had painted the bottom half of the walls baby blue and the top half white, with a border in the middle, all the way around the room, that had the theme on it.

Mandy's old white crib was in this room now, made up with sheets, bumper, comforter and mobile, that were also part of the theme. The entire nursery was done in the theme, and Mac loved it.

"Harm, I don't know what to say," Mac said, smiling.

"Say you like it?" he grinned.

"I love it," she said, kissing him tenderly. "I'll have to thank our dads."

Harm smiled, nodding. "Why don't you feed this guy and I'll go get Mandy ready for bed so that she can go down after dinner."

"She just slept most of the plane ride home," Mac told him. "I doubt she'll be ready for bed anytime soon."

"Well, I'll get her ready, so that when she does drift off we can just put her to bed," he told her.

"Okay," Mac said, taking Chris from him and sitting in the rocker in the corner to nurse.

**19:38 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm had just finished giving Mandy her bath and getting her ready for bed, and Mac had just finished nursing, when Keeter and the others arrived home with dinner.

They ate dinner and cleaned up, before everyone went to the cars to retrieve their suitcases and started getting settled in for the night.

"Harm and Mattie are driving you home tomorrow," Mac told Troy as she led him to the second guest room. "Make yourself at home, and if you'd like something from the kitchen, help yourself. Apparently Harriet went shopping for us."

"Thank you, ma'am," Troy said, moving into the guest room and putting his bag down on the bed. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take a shower."

Mac smiled at him. "I don't mind at all," she told him. "You have your own bathroom, so make yourself at home. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will, thank you," Troy said.

Mac closed the door and moved to Mattie's room to look in on her. "You doing okay?" she asked the teenager.

"Great," Mattie said, smiling. "I love my new bathroom; I can't thank you and Dad enough for having one put in for me."

Mac smiled. "Every girl should have her own bathroom," she said, kissing Mattie's forehead. "See you in the morning."

"G'night, Mom," Mattie said.

"Good night," Mac said, closing Mattie's door.

Mac then went into Mandy's room, where the toddler sat on the floor and played with her blocks. "Hey baby girl," she said, kneeling down by her. "You ready to go to bed?"

"No," Mandy said, shaking her head. "No seep."

Mac sighed. "You can stay up a little longer, but then you have to go to bed, okay?"

"Okay," Mandy said.

Mac kissed the top of her head and went into her and Harm's bedroom. "Chris down?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Harm said. "He was happily watching his mobile when I left him. Is Mandy still awake?"

"Yeah," Mac said, as she began to undress and head towards the bathroom. "She's playing with her blocks right now. I assume Jack is with Lily?"

Harm smiled. "Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Grammy settled in okay?"

"She is," he told her. "I have something to show you downstairs, when you're ready."

Mac pulled on her robe and put her slippers on her feet, moving out to the bedroom. "What is it?"

"Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her down the stairs. "You're really going to like this."


	76. Chapter 76

A/N: I am _so_ sorry!! I totally didn't mean for that last part to be a cliffhangar! I just couldn't find another good place to break up the chapters! LOL! Anyway, here's the next installment! As always, THANK YOU!!! for the reviews! I greatly appreciate them, and they keep me posting! For those of you waiting for the next chapter of Sierra Adventure, it's on its way! Enjoy...

**20:04 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm led Mac down the stairs to a new door at the back of the family room, smiling at her. "I hope you like it," he said to her, opening the door and motioning for her to precede him through.

Mac gave him a quizzical look as she stepped through the door. She assumed that it led out to the back yard, but was surprised to find that it didn't.

Harm flipped on the light, smiling at the surprised look on Mac's face. "Do you like it?" he asked.

Mac looked around the room, smiling. The outside walls were made of thick, dark glass, so that one could see outside, but someone outside wouldn't be able to see inside. Inside the room, there was a treadmill, a weight bench, an exercise bike and a punching bag, with plenty of room in the middle of the room for Mac to do aerobics or yoga.

It was carpeted with a dark colored, high-traffic carpeting, and the walls that led into the house were painted a light beige color. A television/DVD player combo was up high enough to be seen from any of the exercise equipment, and the room was split in two by a four foot wall, with a half-door.

Mac moved to the door and peered over the short wall, smiling; the other side was a play area for the children. The floor was padded with a brightly patterned rubber-like material. There was a toddler-sized jungle gym in one corner, a play kitchen in another, and a television/DVD player combo, protected by a locked, short sturdy cabinet, in another. A toy box sat along one wall, leaving the floor open for the children to play.

"We can be working out over here, but still keep an eye on the kids over there," Harm told her, smiling. "It'll be perfect for the winter, when we don't get to go out running as much."

"I love it," Mac said, smiling at him and wrapping her arms around his waist to hug him. "It's perfect."

"Ah, but there's more," Harm grinned, leading her to the door behind them and opening it, flipping on the light.

Mac's eyes widened in shock as she saw the smaller sized glass room that now housed a very large hot tub. Smiling, she moved into the room and looked around.

The floor was made of the same rubbery material that was on the playroom side of the other room, though it was as dark as the carpeting on the gym side.

Mac opened a closet that was on the wall that led to the house, to find it full of towels, with an assortment of hot tub safe oils on the top shelf, and a row of hooks beside it held several white terry cloth robes. The room was filled with plants and flowers hanging in pots from the top of the glass walls.

"We can adjust the lighting too," Harm told her, turning the knob at the light switch to lower the lights and grinning broadly at her. He closed the door and locked it, moving closer to her. "Mandy is playing in her room, and Grammy promised to look in on her and Chris while we enjoy our new hot tub for awhile," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her behind the ear.

Mac shivered, leaning back against him. "We didn't bring our suits," she said coyly.

"Who needs suits?" Harm asked, kissing behind her other ear as he undid the tie on her robe.

Mac smiled as he slipped the robe from her shoulders and moved to hang it on one of the empty hooks. Testing the temperature of the hot tub with her hand, she climbed up the short steps and into the hot water, sinking down onto one of the seats and closing her eyes. "_This_ is wonderful," she told Harm with a sigh.

A moment later Harm had flipped on the air jets and settled in beside her, and the next thing she knew, she was being lifted and settled between her husband's legs, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her behind the ear again.

"I love you," Harm whispered softly into her ear.

Mac turned so that she was facing him, sitting on her knees as she straddled his waist. "I love you, too," she breathed, just before her lips found his in a scorching kiss.

**06:32 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac felt the bed shift as Harm got up and she sighed happily, stretching.

After they had initiated the hot tub last night and taken thirty minutes to recover, they had gotten out and gone upstairs to check on their children.

Mandy had fallen asleep on the floor, so Mac had carefully placed her into her bed and covered her up, kissing her forehead.

Harm had reported that Chris was sound asleep, so they made their way to their room and took a leisurely shower together, before snuggling into bed to just talk for several hours.

Mac had awoken at Chris' usual feeding times, surprised to find that he was sleeping soundly both times. After assuring herself that he was all right, she had gone back to bed and snuggled into her husband's warm embrace.

Harm came out of the bathroom and climbed back into bed, pulling her to him and kissing her tenderly. "Chris should be waking up soon," he murmured.

"Mmm," Mac murmured. "He's going to be starving," she said. "He slept all night."

"Really?" Harm asked, surprised. "Have you checked on him?"

"I have," she answered. "He's fine."

Harm yawned and hugged her tighter. "What time is everyone arriving?"

"Dad should be here by 16:00; I think the Roberts' are coming sometime around 16:30," she replied.

"I should think about making breakfast, then," he murmured. "Mattie and I need to get Troy home, and I have some things to do before everyone arrives."

Mac nodded sleepily and turned to face him, burrowing closer.

The next thing she knew, she was being awakened by the sound of Chris on the baby monitor, screaming very loudly. Sitting up, she realized that it was now 07:56 and Harm was no longer in bed. A moment later, she heard him over the baby monitor.

"Hey big guy," he said. "What's all the fuss, huh? Shh…"

She could hear rustling sounds, as Harm moved Chris to the changing table and began changing his diaper, Chris still crying unhappily.

"You slept the whole night," Harm murmured. "That was so good."

Chris' cries quieted somewhat, but didn't cease.

"Daddy!" Mandy's voice came over the monitor.

"Hey princess," Harm said. "Do you need a new diaper?"

"Wed," Mandy told him. "Yucky."

Harm chuckled. "Go to your room and I'll come change you as soon as I take Chris to Mommy, okay?"

"Okay," she said, and Mac could hear her scurrying footsteps for a moment, as she scooted up against the headboard and waited for Harm.

Mac smiled as she heard more movement, then it was silent for a few moments and Harm appeared in their bedroom with Chris.

Harm saw Mac sitting up and smiled at her. "Someone is very hungry this morning," he told her.

"I know," Mac said, accepting her crying child from her husband. "I heard the whole thing." She pointed to the baby monitor.

Harm grimaced. "Sorry; I forgot to shut it off."

"It's okay," she assured him, as she lifted her t-shirt and allowed Chris to latch on. "Let me finish feeding him and I'll come down and help you with breakfast."

Harm nodded absently. "I'm going to go change Mandy and get her dressed; be back in a few minutes."

"Okay," she said, watching him walk out the bedroom door. She smiled down at Chris when he put his palm on her cheek. "How is my handsome boy this morning, huh?"

Chris smiled up at her, before continuing to nurse.

A few minutes later, Mandy came in, dressed in one of her new jumper dresses. She climbed up on the bed and stood up, smiling at Mac.

"Mama," she said, grinning. "Piddy!"

Mac smiled at her, nodding. "Very pretty," she told her. "Let me see your hair."

Mandy turned so that Mac could check out the pigtails, and she was surprised to see the part was even.

"Did Daddy do your hair?" she asked.

Mandy turned to look at her and flopped to a sitting position on the bed, shaking her head. "Ma-ee did."

"Ah," Mac said in understanding. While Harm was great at everything else where the kids were concerned, doing Mandy's hair was not on the list.

Harm came into their room a few minutes later and smiled at his wife and children. "Everyone okay?"

"Hunny, Daddy," Mandy told him.

"I know, princess," he said. "Let me get dressed and I'll go make breakfast."

"Ammy did," she said.

Harm stopped, a confused frown on his face. "Grammy did?"

"Uh-huh," she said, nodding her head. "Ammy did."

"Oh," Harm said, surprised. "Okay." He moved into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, emerging a few minutes later dressed in jeans and a light blue shirt. He scooped Mandy up off the bed and leaned forward to kiss Mac. "I'm going to go see what Grammy made for breakfast and feed our girl."

"We'll be down soon," Mac promised.

Harm nodded and closed the bedroom door behind him.

**21:40 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac yawned and settled into Harm's arms, sighing contentedly. "Chloe's flight is scheduled to arrive at 10:30 hours," she told him sleepily.

"Do you want me to go with you to pick her up?" he asked, kissing her forehead. "We can talk to her together."

"You already told Mattie?" she asked.

"She and I had a nice talk on the way back from taking Troy home," he responded. "She understands that we need to talk to Chloe and Josh. She even said she was glad that we know and want to talk to them, because she's afraid Chloe is going to end up pregnant if they keep having unprotected sex."

Mac groaned and shook her head. "I know I can't stop them, but I'm hoping that they'll at least start being safe about it."

"Do you think her father and grandparents would object to you taking her to get on birth control?" he asked. "I'm going to have a serious talk with Josh about a man's responsibility; he should never just assume that it's okay."

Mac smiled. "Are you going to tell Annie and Tim?"

"I don't know," Harm said. "I may talk to Tim, but I think I'll leave Annie out of it for now. I'll let Tim decide what to tell her."

"Okay," she said, nodding. "Sounds good. I'll talk to Chloe first, before I decide whether or not to talk to her family."

"I'm so glad Mattie has decided to wait," Harm sighed.

"Me, too," Mac said. "To answer your question, I think I'd like you and Josh to come with me to pick her up so we can talk to them, but we need to leave Mattie and the kids home."

"All right," Harm agreed, nodding. "Any idea how you want to approach this?"

"Not one," she sighed. "Let's just pick her up from the airport and go from there."

"I'll follow your lead on this one," he said.

"Thanks," she said. "Now all I have to do is keep from killing Josh on sight, and we'll be fine."

Harm chuckled. "Easy, Marine." He lifted her chin with his forefinger and kissed her tenderly. "It will all work out."

"I hope so," she replied, brushing some hair from his forehead before snuggling back against him again and closing her eyes.

They lay there silently holding one another for quite some time, before sleep finally claimed them.

**10:37 EST**

**Washington Dulles International**

**Washington, DC**

Josh craned his neck to see over the crowd, trying to see the passengers coming off of the plane. When he saw Chloe, he smiled broadly and called her name, waving.

Chloe saw Josh and smiled broadly, rushing towards him.

Harm and Mac looked at one another as the teenagers came together and shared a deep kiss in the middle of the crowded airport.

"Ahem," Harm cleared his throat as he stood behind Josh.

They pulled apart and Chloe beamed up at Josh before rushing forward to hug Harm. "I'm so glad you're all right!" she said. "You scared us all half to death!"

Harm hugged her back. "Sorry about that," he said, kissing the top of her head.

Chloe nodded, turning to hug Mac. "I've missed you so much!" she said.

"Mmm, I've missed you, too," Mac said, hugging the girl close. "How was your flight?"

"Fine," Chloe said. "Dad says to tell you guys 'hello' and thank you for letting me come."

"It's always our pleasure to have you here," Harm told her. "Let's go get your luggage."

They moved to the baggage claim area and retrieved her bags, Josh offering to carry them for her as they made their way out of the airport.

As soon as the bags were in the back and they were settled in the car, Mac looked back at Chloe and Josh. "You guys hungry? We thought we could stop for some coffee and a snack; give us a chance to catch up."

"I'm always hungry!" Chloe grinned. "Sounds good to me."

Josh nodded his agreement and Harm smiled, nodding at his wife in approval.

They drove towards their home, stopping at a small café.

Harm and Mac waited until their orders were placed in front of them before speaking.

"Harm and I wanted to talk to you two about something," Mac began. "We want you to know that we aren't trying to pry, and we're not being judgmental, nor are we going to pull the 'grown up' card on you. We are just worried about you two, and want to discuss this with you and offer to help."

Chloe winced, glancing at Josh. "Did Mattie tell you?"

"Not on purpose," Harm assured her. "She and Troy were having a discussion about the two of them not wanting to have sex yet, which I overheard. They happened to mention the fact that the two of you are… Mattie didn't intentionally break your confidence."

Chloe nodded, sighing. "So, how pissed are you?"

"Not pissed at all," Mac told her, smiling slightly. "Just concerned. Mattie and Troy said that you two are, and I quote, 'playing with fire'. Neither of us wants to see you two have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy."

Josh was blushing furiously, looking everywhere but at Harm or Mac.

"Josh?" Harm said, noticing the boy's discomfort. "Would you be more comfortable if we talked alone?"

Josh finally met Harm's eyes and he nodded. "Please?"

Harm nodded, kissed his wife briefly, and stood, motioning Josh to a separate table on the other side of the café. Once they were both seated, he looked at Josh. "Talk to me."

"I love her," Josh blurted.

"Okay," Harm nodded.

"You believe me?" he asked, uncertain.

"Why shouldn't I?" Harm asked him, sipping his coffee. "Just because you're seventeen?"

"Most people would say that's too young," Josh sulked. "My mom does."

"I'm not you, so I don't know what you're feeling, Josh," Harm said. "If you say you love her, I believe you. But you need to be responsible. You want to be a pilot, but if you get that girl pregnant, that dream is gone."

Josh looked at him with wide eyes. "I hadn't thought of that."

"I didn't think so," Harm said. "Hasn't your mother or Tim ever talked to you about this stuff?"

"My mom asked me once about a year ago if I knew about sex," Josh said, wincing. "When I told her I did, she asked if I'd ever done it. I told her no, and then she said, 'Good. Don't. At least until you're married.' That was the end of that."

Harm smiled sympathetically. "What about Tim?"

Josh shrugged. "We don't spend much time together."

"Is that his choice or yours?" Harm asked.

"Mine," Josh said. "I just feel… awkward… around him."

"I know how that is," Harm nodded. "I felt the same way with my step dad. It wasn't until just recently that I realized what I'd missed out on by keeping him at arm's length all these years."

Josh just nodded.

"Back to you and Chloe, or you and any girl that you want to have sex with, for that matter," Harm said. "You need to be the responsible one, Josh. Don't _ever _assume that the girl has it covered, or that it's her responsibility. Did you know that you can buy condoms from any store, no questions asked?"

Josh blushed furiously, but nodded. "They talked about it in sex ed," he said. "They even taught us how to use them."

Harm looked confused. "How did they do that?"

Josh rolled his eyes. "They used a banana," he said, shaking his head. "It was ridiculous."

"But you learned how to use them?" Harm asked.

Josh nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, then," Harm nodded. "Then from this moment on, every time you have sex, you need to use one, until you're married and are ready to have kids."

"Every time?" Josh asked, surprised.

"Every time," Harm confirmed. "Not just because of the risk of pregnancy, Josh. There's a lot of crap out there you can get, and new stuff is popping up all the time. Better safe than sorry."

"Okay," Josh agreed. "I understand, and I promise."

"Good," Harm said. "So, your mom's baby is due in three months?" he asked, changing the subject. "How do you feel about that?"

At the same time, Mac and Chloe were having their discussion.

"So are you really disappointed in me?" Chloe asked.

"A little," Mac admitted. "When we talked about this last time, I was under the impression you had decided to wait."

"I had," Chloe told her. "But when Josh told me he loves me, too, I just felt like it was the right thing to do."

"Did it ever occur to you that you could get pregnant?" Mac asked her.

"A couple of times," Chloe told her. "But I read this thing that said that if you plan it right, you can avoid it."

"Chloe, the only two things that guarantee you a hundred percent that you won't get pregnant, is either abstaining completely from sex, or having all of your female parts taken out like I did," Mac told her.

Chloe winced and nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"Have you talked to our grandmother or your father at all?" Mac asked her.

"No; I just can't," Chloe told her.

"Did you know that you can go to the local clinic and get put on birth control, and they won't charge you for it?" Mac asked her.

"They taught us that in sex ed," Chloe admitted. "But I was afraid to go on them without someone knowing, in case they made me really sick or something."

Mac took a deep breath and nodded. "Well… if you want, I'll take you while you're here and we can get you started. But I insist that you let me talk to your grandmother and tell her that I'm doing it. I won't tell her you're having sex; if she needs a reason, I'll tell her it's because you're having problems with your period and want to regulate it better."

Chloe's eyes widened, but then she nodded. "Okay," she conceded.

"You do know that birth control pills don't protect you from disease, though, right? You still need to insist that the boy wears a condom, every time," Mac told her. "Promise?"

"Promise," Chloe said, smiling at her. "Thanks, Mac."

Mac took her hand and smiled at her. "That's what I'm here for."


	77. Chapter 77

A/N: So sorry for the delay in posting! I've been horribly ill. Still not back to normal, but working on it! In almost every JAG story I've read where Mac's mother returns, the result has never been favorable... so in this story, I'm changing that! I think that Mac deserves to be happy (she got screwed over by TPTB in the show, if you ask me)! As always, THANK YOU!!!! to everyone that has reviewed! It is always appreciated, and keeps me motivated to keep writing, even when I feel lousy! All mistakes are my own, I don't own a thing (except my original characters), I'm not doing this for money and no infringement on anyone's rights is intended. Enjoy!

**13:54 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

After their talk with Chloe and Josh, they had headed home. Their arrival was met with many hugs, and then Mattie led Chloe up to her room to put her bags away.

As soon as she was settled in, and Mac had warned her that she and Josh were not to be in any of the bedrooms with the door closed, Chloe, Josh and Mattie had bundled up and gone outside to build a snowman in the backyard.

Mandy stood with her nose pressed against the sliding glass door, watching tearfully as the teenagers played out in the snow without her.

Harm came down the stairs after having gotten Chris up from his nap and changed his wet diaper, setting his son on the blanket in the family room. He saw Mandy, and when he heard her sniffle, he walked over and kneeled down beside her, tugging lightly on her jumper. "What's wrong, princess?"

Mandy pointed outside to the teenagers, now happily having a snowball fight. "I pay," she said, sniffling again.

"You want to go out and play, too?" he asked sympathetically.

Mandy nodded, looking at him with teary eyes. "I pay."

Mac had come from the living room where she had been dusting and heard the conversation. She smiled indulgently as Harm picked his baby girl up and kissed her cheek, wiping the tears from her face.

"How about you and Daddy go out and play in the snow for awhile?" he asked her.

Mandy smiled at that, nodding her head. "Okay!" she said, hugging him around the neck.

"Make sure you both bundle up," Mac said as he passed her to head upstairs. "It's pretty cold out there and I don't want either of you coming down with anything."

"Yes, ma'am," Harm winked, disappearing up the stairs.

Mac looked at Chris, who was chewing on a rattle, slobbering all over. He smiled up at his mother when he saw her looking at him. "What are you doing, big boy?" she asked him, moving to kneel in front of him and tickle his tummy.

Chris laughed at his mother, holding his soaked rattle towards her mouth.

Mac scrunched her nose at him and smiled. "I'm good, thanks," she told him, kissing his forehead before standing up and moving to grab the glass cleaner and some paper towels so that she could clean the finger and nose prints off the sliding glass door.

Harm and Mandy came back downstairs, Mandy wearing her snowsuit, snow boots and mittens, and Harm wearing his parka, wool hat and gloves. "Call me if you need anything," he told Mac, opening the newly-cleaned glass door and stepping out into the backyard.

"You take it easy with that leg of yours," Mac told him.

Harm gave her an exasperated look, nodding.

Mac sighed, moving to put the glass cleaner away and throw out the paper towels. The sound of the doorbell made her frown slightly, as she knew they weren't expecting anyone. Picking Chris up from his place on the floor, she made her way to the front door and peered out the peephole, giving a surprised look as she opened the door.

"Mic," Mac said, genuinely surprised to see him. "What brings you by?"

"I heard that you were back," he said, smiling at her as she stepped aside to allow him entrance. "Thought I'd come by and welcome you home."

"We got home a couple of days ago," Mac said. "Harm's making a wonderful recovery, so we decided to head home and get everyone back into the routine of things as much as possible."

"Harm's home with you, then?" he asked, hiding his disappointment.

"Of course," Mac replied. "I wouldn't have come home, if he couldn't come with us."

"No, of course not," Mic said. "Well, I should be going then. I just wanted to stop by and say 'hello' and to welcome you back."

"We're having a get together for the New Year tomorrow night," Mac said, as he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. "You're more than welcome to come, if you don't already have plans. It starts at 22:30 and will go until well after midnight."

"I already have plans," Mic lied. "But thanks for the offer."

"Well, Happy New Year, then," Mac smiled. "I'll see you around."

"Happy New Year," Mic replied, nodding once more before moving to his car.

Mac closed the front door, frowning slightly; something just didn't feel right…

There was a loud noise from the vicinity of Chris' diaper and he began to fuss, so Mac turned her attention to her son.

"Guess we need to take care of that," she said, grimacing at the unpleasant smell.

Stopping once more to reassure herself that Mic's car was gone from the driveway, Mac then carried her unhappy son upstairs to change his diaper.

**02:44 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm opened his eyes and frowned when he reached for Mac, only to find that she wasn't in the bed. Not only that, but her place was cold, too, so she'd been gone for awhile.

Climbing out of bed, he pulled his robe on and checked the bathroom, then all of the kids' rooms, before padding downstairs. He found her sitting on the bench seat in front of the large bay window in the living room, knees bent in front of her with her arms wrapped around them, staring out at the moonlit snow.

"Hey," he said softly, moving to put his hand on her shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Mac shrugged one slender shoulder, placing her hand over his.

Harm nudged her forward and sat behind her, pulling her back into his arms. Kissing her neck tenderly, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Nervous about tomorrow, huh," he said, more of a statement than a question.

Mac nodded slowly. "I haven't seen her since my father died," she told him. "That was over five years ago now. I know we've loosely kept in touch, but we've not gotten close. How am I supposed to act? What do I say?"

Harm hugged her to him. "First of all, just be yourself, Mac," he told her. "If she can't love you for who you are, you're better off knowing that right away. Secondly, don't try to force any issues… you can't make yourself have feelings for her that aren't there, and vice versa. Just take it one step at a time and see how it goes. I'm sure it will all work itself out. I'll be right here with you, no matter how it plays out."

Mac sighed and nodded, knowing he was right. "I'm just afraid that she'll decide that she doesn't want me after all of this time."

"Aw, honey," Harm soothed, his heart breaking at the tears he heard in her voice. "She'd be crazy not to. I'm willing to bet she is just as nervous, and afraid of the same things, as you are right now. If she decides that she doesn't want to be a part of our lives, then it's her loss. We have a great family, and while she is welcome to be a part of it, we can't force her to. We'll still have a great family if she decides that she doesn't want to be a part of it."

Mac put her head on his shoulder, tilting it so she could look up at him. Smiling through her tears, she kissed his jaw. "I love you," she told him.

Harm cupped her cheek in his palm, leaning down to kiss her deeply. When he broke the kiss, he smiled down at her, wiping her tears with his thumb. "I love you, too. Think you can sleep for awhile now?"

Mac turned, moving to straddle his waist as she pulled him to her for another electric kiss. "Maybe you could tire me out some, first," she grinned saucily at him.

"How long 'til Chris wakes up to be fed?" he asked, undoing the belt of her robe and nibbling at her neck.

"I just fed him an hour ago," she told him, reaching through the opening of his robe to caress him. "He should sleep for a couple more hours, at least."

"Then let's take this party up to bed, huh?" Harm grinned, taking her hand after she'd stood up and following her up to their bedroom.

**13:04 EST**

**Ronald Reagan National Airport**

**Washington, DC**

**New Year's Eve Day**

Mac held Harm's hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze as they watched the passenger's leaving the boarding area of the plane. She was half afraid that her mother had decided not to show up, and equally afraid that she would.

A slender woman dressed very nicely with red hair and Mac's chocolate colored eyes stepped off the plane, scanning the crowd nervously. She saw Mac, standing with her hand in Harm's, and her eyes widened in recognition. Moving to the stunning couple, she clutched her carry-on tightly with both hands. "Sarah?" she asked with a hesitant smile.

Mac had barely given the slender woman a second glance, until she came up to them and called her name. Eyes widening in shocked amazement, she looked at her mother and smiled shyly. "Mom… you look… amazing," she said.

Deanne smiled widely, relaxing visibly. "I've been attending Weight Watcher's and going to a gym four days a week, in addition to my therapy sessions."

"Well, you look wonderful," Mac smiled, giving her a tentative hug. She looked at Harm and took his hand again. "Mom, I'd like you to meet my husband, Harmon Rabb; Harm, this is my mother, Deanne Mackenzie."

Harm smiled and shook her hand warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he said. "We're glad you've come to visit."

Deanne smiled in pleasant surprise at this handsome young man, as captivated by his thousand-watt smile as any other woman. "Thank you for having me," she said sincerely. She looked around them. "Are your children with you?"

"We have quite a houseful at the moment," Mac told her, "so we left the kids all at home. Harm and I want to take you to lunch, if you haven't eaten yet, before we introduce you to the chaos that is the Rabb home." She chuckled slightly at this.

"I'd like that," Deanne said. "I hardly ate this morning, I was so nervous."

Mac smiled ruefully and nodded. "Me, too."

"Let's go retrieve the rest of your luggage and we'll find someplace to eat," Harm said. "May I carry that for you?" he asked, indicating the carry-on bag she still held.

"Thank you," Deanne said, mystified, as she handed him the bag.

"So… tell me about this guy you're seeing," Mac said, looping her elbow with her mother's and leading her towards the baggage claim.

Harm smiled in relief as he trailed behind them, listening to mother and daughter chat about the new man in Deanne Mackenzie's life.

As soon as they reached the baggage claim area and retrieved Deanne's suitcase, which Harm insisted on carrying as well, they headed out towards the parking area to the Lexus.

They stopped at a restaurant in Fairfax on the way home, making small talk until their meals arrived.

Harm ordered the spinach lasagna, a green salad with French dressing, and lemonade.

Deanne ordered a half-portion spinach lasagna, a green salad with low-calorie vinaigrette dressing, and an unsweetened iced tea. She watched in amazement as her daughter ordered a double cheeseburger with grilled onions and extra pickles, an order of cheese fries, and a large root beer, and dug in with gusto. "How in the world do you stay so thin eating like that?" she asked.

Harm laughed, as Mac grinned at them.

"Well, I don't eat like this all of the time," Mac assured her. "But I'm a very active person; I exercise on a regular basis and do kick boxing and yoga. I'm also nursing our infant son and, on occasion, our toddler daughter, so that means I need to increase my calorie intake."

"You do all of that and maintain a career in the Marines?" Deanne asked, surprised.

"I retired from the Marines," Mac told her, smiling. "I'm a full time wife and mother now, but I manage to stay very busy nonetheless."

Deanne got a pensive look on her face, looking for a moment as if she were going to cry, but shook it away silently and took a deep breath. "Tell me about your children," she smiled at them.

Mac had seen the look in her mother's eyes and was worried for a moment. She hadn't meant to sound condemning, by telling her mother that she was a full time wife and mother, but she was surprised, and pleased, when her mother seemed to shake it off and move on with the conversation. Maybe this wouldn't be such a disaster after all.

Smiling at her mother, she reached for her purse and pulled out the small photo album she carried with her, that was frequently updated, to show her pictures of their family.

Harm, for his part, had seen Deanne's reaction to Mac saying that she was a stay at home wife and mother, silently preparing himself for whatever drama might unfold. He was infinitely pleased when there was no drama, as Deanne pulled herself together and moved on. He was happy that things seemed to be working out between Mac and her mother, and prayed that the talk he'd had with Chloe the night before about giving Deanne Mackenzie a chance, and not condemning the woman for past mistakes, had gotten through to the often melodramatic teenager.

"This was taken at Harm's parents' house last week," Mac told her, showing her the family photo they'd taken before they had left La Jolla. She went on to point out each person in the photograph, telling her mother who they were and how they fit into the Rabb family. "Grammy Sarah is still at our house; she's going to fly home to Pennsylvania in a few days. Jack is staying with Lily until he gets called back to work; he's a pilot, but only works when his company calls him… which is actually pretty often."

Mac pulled out another photo and showed it to her mother. "This is Chloe," Mac told her. "She's my little sister."

"Joe had another child?" Deanne asked, shocked.

"Uh… no," Mac smiled, shaking her head. "I was her mentor in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America program when she was younger. Her father is in the Navy, so she stays with her grandparents at their farm while he's away, but she and I have always stayed very close. She visits us a couple of times a year, usually."

Deanne looked slightly relieved at this. "She's a pretty little thing."

"And she's a handful," Mac smiled. "But she's basically a good kid with a great heart."

"So, Harm, what do you do in the Navy?" Deanne asked, once Mac had put the photos away.

"Well, ma'am," Harm grinned, chuckling slightly, "it depends on the day." He winked at his wife as he began to tell Deanne about his initial stint as a pilot, his ramp strike and move to law, his return to flying, his transfer to the Pentagon, and his most recent adventures in the Sea of Japan.

"Harm's been nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor," Mac told her mother, looking proudly at her husband.

Harm blushed, shifting uncomfortably. "_Nominated_ being the key word, Mac. It doesn't mean I'll get it."

"Of course you will," Mac said softly, leaning forward to kiss him tenderly. "They'd be crazy not to give it to you. But even if they don't, you're still a hero to me."

Harm returned her tender smile and kissed her again, before they separated and he noted they were all finished with their lunch. Signaling for the check, he winked at his wife again as he pulled out his credit card and handed it to their waitress.

Deanne had watched the two of them interact and a small smile lit her face. Her baby girl was obviously very happy, and very much in love, and that's all that she could ever have hoped for. It seemed as if Sarah was willing to try and establish a relationship with her, and to Deanne, that was something she'd be grateful for until her dying day… she was determined not to mess this chance up, as she was sure it would be her last.


	78. Chapter 78

A/N: This is a long one, but I had a hard time finding a good place to stop! As always, THANK YOU for the reviews that have been posted! They keep me motivated to keep writing, and are very much appreciated! Special thanks to marksteelejr for the ideas for Harm's promotion and the award from Japan! Enjoy...

**15:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**New Year's Eve Day**

Harm took Deanne's bags out of the back of the Lexus and followed his wife and her mother to the front door of the house, where Mac was standing, waiting.

"Ready to be mobbed?" Mac smiled at her mom.

Deanne looked surprised, but then smiled, nodding. "As I'll ever be."

Mac opened the door and went in, with Deanne following behind her and Harm bringing up the rear. "We're home!" she called.

They heard Mandy's distinct squeal and, a moment later, she came running from the living room. "Mommy! Daddy!" she yelled, hitting Mac full force and wrapping her arms around her mother's knees, looking up at her. "Hi!" she said, grinning.

Mac chuckled and knelt down to pick her up, as Grammy came out from the living room with a fussy Chris. "Hi yourself," she said, kissing the toddler's cheek. "I have someone I want you to meet," she told the toddler. "Mandy, this is Granma Deanne," she said.

Mandy looked at Deanne, smiling widely. "Hi!" she said, waving.

"Hello, precious," Deanne said, smiling at her.

Mandy looked at Mac, with a confused expression, holding her palms up. "Am-ma?"

Mac nodded. "Granma Deanne," she said. "Granma Trish is Daddy's mommy, Granma Deanne is Mommy's mommy," she told the toddler.

Mandy's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise, her mouth forming an 'o'. "Mommy's mommy?"

Mac nodded. "Yep."

Mandy laughed, clapping her hands happily. She reached for Deanne, and after Mac made sure her mother was okay with it, handed her over. Mandy wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her cheek. "Am-ma!"

Deanne's eyes filled with tears as she held the small girl to her.

"Mandy is short for Miranda," Mac told her. "Miranda Joy Rabb."

Mandy pulled away and pointed at Chris. "Cis," she said to Mac. "Cis cwy."

"Chris was crying?" Mac asked, taking the baby boy from Grammy and cuddling him to her. "What's wrong with Mommy's big boy, huh?" she asked him.

"Oh, he was just missing Mommy and Daddy," Grammy said, smiling. "He's fine, though I think he might be hungry."

"Mom," Mac said, "this is Harm's grandmother, Sarah Rabb. Grammy, this is my mother, Deanne Mackenzie."

Harm had just taken Mandy from Deanne, so Deanne shook hands with the elderly woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said.

"The pleasure is all mine," Grammy said sincerely.

Mac turned back to her mother. "This is Christopher Franklin Rabb," she told her. "Chris, for short."

Deanne leaned forward and smiled at the baby boy. "Hello there, Chris," she said. "You are just as adorable as your big sister."

Chris gave her a wide, toothless grin, putting his fist in his mouth to chew on.

Grammy handed Mac the drool towel and smiled. "I think he's cutting teeth."

Mac nodded. "Yeah… I found that out when I was nursing last night," she winced. "Where are the girls, and Jack and Lily?"

"Jack and Lily went to the store to get some more stuff for the party tonight," Grammy told her. "Mattie and Chloe are upstairs on the phone with Troy and Josh; they should be down in a few minutes."

Harm set Mandy back on her feet and picked up Deanne's bags. "I'll take these up to Deanne's room and tell them to make it snappy."

"Thank you," Mac smiled at him.

Harm stopped long enough to kiss his son on the top of the head, and kiss his wife, before he headed up the stairs.

Mandy made to follow him, but stopped when Mac called to her as they entered the family room.

"Freeze, Miranda Joy," Mac said. "You know better than that."

Mandy looked back at Mac, then at the stairs, and sighed.

"Show Granma Deanne your baby doll," Mac suggested, trying to distract her.

Mandy perked up and ran over to the sofa, pulling her doll from off of it.

Mac told Deanne to have a seat in one of the chairs, so she did, smiling when Mandy brought her doll over.

"Bay-ee," Mandy told her, smiling. "Mie."

"What a pretty baby," Deanne said to her, smiling wider when the little girl beamed at her. "What's her name?"

"Bay-ee," Mandy said with a grin.

"Right now, her name is Baby," Mac said, chuckling as she took a seat on the sofa and covered her and Chris with the blanket so she could nurse. She looked under the blanket at her son. "No biting," she warned him.

Harm came back down the stairs and took a seat beside Mac, smiling at Deanne. "The girls will be down in a couple more minutes," he told her. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, thank you," Deanne replied. "I'm fine."

Harm nodded, looking around the festively decorated house. "Everyone did a great job on the house," he said to Grammy. "Looks like everything's ready for the party tonight."

"If you want to take a nap after you meet the girls, you're welcome to," Mac told Deanne. "The party doesn't start until 22~ uh, 10:30," Mac smiled. "We're going to have pizza for dinner, since there will be food at the party later, but we're not planning on having dinner for a few hours yet."

"That sounds like a good idea," Deanne smiled. "I brought a couple of dresses, since I wasn't sure what the dress code is for the party."

Mac's eyes widened. "Did I forget to tell you? I'm so sorry! It's formal dress tonight… do you have something to wear? If not, we can go buy you something."

"I have a black dress that's appropriate for a formal evening out," Deanne assured her. "I figured I'd better bring one, just in case."

Mac relaxed. "Good; I can hardly wait for you to meet everyone."

Chloe and Mattie came down the stairs and stood near where the adults were all seated, smiling shyly at Deanne.

"Mom, this is Mathilda Grace Rabb, or Mattie," Mac told her mother, indicating the girl. "As I told you, Mattie is our oldest daughter. This is Chloe Lynne Anderson; my 'little sister'… girls, this is my mother, Deanne Mackenzie."

"Hello, girls," Deanne said with a smile, standing and reaching out to shake their hands.

Chloe and Mattie looked at each other, shook their heads, and then they each hugged her.

"Welcome to the family!" Chloe said, grinning. "We're glad you came to visit!"

"It's good to meet you," Mattie said. "Is it all right if I call you Gramma Deanne?"

"Of course it is," Deanne said, again tearing up.

"Me, too," Chloe said. "I call Harm's mom 'Gramma Trish', so it's only fair!"

"That's fine with me," Deanne said, amazed that this family had so readily accepted her. "How are you both?"

"Great!" Chloe said, looking at Harm. "Troy and Josh will be here by 22:00. Annie said that Josh can stay, as long as Troy is staying, too."

"We have a place for them to share," Harm said, nodding. "I'll give Tim and Annie a call and let them know what the plans are."

"Why don't the two of you take Granma Deanne upstairs and show her where she'll be staying?" Mac suggested. "Then you two need to try to sleep for a couple of hours, since we'll all be up late tonight."

"We gotta take a nap?" Chloe asked, flabbergasted.

Mandy laughed. "Nap!"

Chloe pointed at her. "Don't laugh, squirt, you have to take a nap, too."

"No nap!" Mandy insisted.

"Uh-huh," Chloe said.

"Nuh-uh," Mandy said.

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh~"

"That's enough," Harm said, looking at Chloe with an incredulous expression. "You're arguing with a toddler?"

Chloe shrugged. "She started it."

Harm shook his head, then everyone burst into laughter, including Mandy, though she had no idea why everyone was laughing.

"Come on," Mattie said, taking Deanne's hand. "We'll show you to your room."

"I think I'll head on up to take a nap, as well," Grammy said with a smile.

Harm stood and scooped up Mandy, grabbing her doll. "I'll get this one down," he told Mac, kissing her tenderly.

"I'll be right up," she said, peeking under the blanket. "This guy is just about out."

Harm nodded and Mac watched everyone climb the stairs. Giving a small sigh of relief, she smiled to herself. She could hardly wait for tonight.

**22:28 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**New Year's Eve**

Everyone in the Rabb household was dressed in their best, waiting for their guests to arrive. Mac had talked Harm into making the party a 'black-tie' affair, with all the men that were in the military being required to wear their dress blues (as it was still not time to switch to dress whites). Those men not in the military were asked to wear tuxedos, and all of the women were asked to wear black or dark blue dresses.

Mattie and Chloe had been ecstatic when Mac had taken the two of them, along with Grammy Sarah and Lily, to the mall to shop for dresses the evening before. It had been quite a big deal, with all of the women in the Rabb household getting not only new dresses, but new shoes and accessories as well.

Mac had bought a baby tuxedo, complete with shoes, for Chris, and a very fancy dark blue dress with white tights and patent-leather shoes for Mandy. She'd done the toddler's hair into a cascade of auburn curls starting from the crown of her head, with a light blue satin ribbon interspersed throughout the curls.

Mattie and Chloe had also chosen dark blue dresses, and had spent the better part of the last three hours doing each other's hair and makeup.

Harm was wearing his dress blues, complete with all of his ribbons and medals, and was staring like a starving man at his wife, who was wearing a floor-length black silk dress with a slit up the side that reached to her knee. It conformed to every curve, with a v-neck and a plunging back that reached her waist, and three-inch strappy black heels adorned her slender feet. The necklace, ring and bracelet set that Harm had gotten her for Christmas made the perfect addition to the outfit.

"I have something for you," he'd breathed, standing behind her in front of the mirror, just minutes before they were due downstairs.

Mac chuckled, her eyes dancing. "I bet you do; but it'll have to wait until later."

Harm nuzzled behind her ear, stopping the hand that was holding her plain, gold hoop earrings. "Yeah, that, too," he smiled. Pulling out a small black box, he handed it to her. "Try these."

Mac looked surprised, and then opened the box, and her eyes widened as she smiled up at him. "Harm… they're gorgeous! When did you~?"

"I heard you, Mattie and Lily talking about accessories the other night, and how you planned to wear the set I got you for Christmas, but that you needed earrings… so I slipped out while you were at the mall yesterday evening and found these," he told her, kissing her neck.

Mac lifted one of the earrings from the box. "I love them," she said, turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. They matched the set he'd gotten her for Christmas flawlessly, and with her upswept hairdo, they'd be perfect. "I love you," she said.

"Hmm," Harm murmured, kissing her again. "Much as I'd like to continue this, we have guests arriving soon."

Mac had chuckled and nodded, putting the earrings on and checking her reflection once more before joining the rest of the family downstairs.

Now, Mac looked over at her mother, who looked amazing in the floor-length black dress she was wearing. With her red hair pinned up in a neat bun, courtesy of her teenaged granddaughters, Deanne Mackenzie was a sight to behold.

The doorbell rang and Mac joined Harm to greet their first guests.

"Bud! Harriet!" They exclaimed, hugging their friends. "Come in."

Harm opened the door to allow them entrance. "Where are the kids?" he asked, taking their coats and hanging them in the entryway closet.

"We decided a sitter would be best for tonight," Harriet said. "Little AJ was running a low fever, and Jimmy was getting really cranky, so we decided not to tempt fate."

Harm smiled, nodding in understanding. "The caterers are serving drinks, so go inside and make yourselves comfortable."

"I'll introduce you to my mother," Mac said, smiling as she led them into the house, stopping long enough to kiss her husband again. "Got the door okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled. "I'll join you shortly."

Soon the house was full, as all of their friends and co-workers arrived. Harm had invited several of the people he now worked with, in addition to those he and Mac had worked with from JAG.

Harm and Mac mingled with their guests, all the while managing to keep their eyes on where their youngest two children were. They weren't aware that AJ, Lily, Jack, Grammy, Deanne, Mattie and Chloe were also constantly keeping their eyes out for the two youngest Rabbs.

Mandy was ecstatic with all of the attention that was being lavished on her. The toddler loved having adults pay attention to her, so tonight she was in her element.

"Your little girl is absolutely adorable, Captain," Admiral Michaelson, from the Pentagon, said to Harm, popping a mini quiche into his mouth and washing it down with white wine.

"Thank you, sir," Harm smiled. "We think so, too."

The Chief of Naval Operations stood in the center of the room and gave Mac a significant look, before calling everyone to attention.

Everyone gathered as well as they could into the family room, curious as to what was happening.

"Now, I know we still have nearly thirty minutes before the New Year, but I think that this is a good time to do this," he said, smiling. "Captain Rabb, front and center!"

Harm's eyes widened and he looked at Mac, noticing her secretive smile as he moved quickly to stand in front of his Commanding Officer. "Sir!" he said, standing at attention.

"You're out of uniform," the CNO informed him with a smile.

Harm's eyes widened, as he realized the implications of what the CNO had just said. "Sir?"

The CNO accepted a case from Bud Roberts, removing Harm's old shoulder boards and the Eagle from his collar. "Captain Rabb, you will be receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor, as well as a special award of honor from Japan, in a ceremony at the White House in a week's time. I feel it is appropriate, however, to promote you to your new rank tonight, in front of your friends and family. Normally, you'd only be promoted one rank, but given the special circumstances, and your act of selfless bravery, you are being promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral Upper Half," he said. Opening the case, he smiled at Harm's shocked look, just before he snapped to again. "Congratulations, Admiral Rabb," he said, placing the new shoulder boards on his uniform, then pinning the two stars to his collar. Then he swore him in to his new rank and stepped back. "Mrs. Rabb, would you do the honors, please?"

Mac stepped forward, smiling at her husband, even as there were tears in her eyes. "With pleasure, sir."

"Gently, Marine," Harm murmured, as he and Mac smiled at each other in remembrance.

Mac kissed his cheek, and then stepped back as everyone saluted Harm, herself included.

"As you were, people," the CNO said, shaking Harm's hand.

Everyone broke into applause, moving forward to congratulate Harm personally.

"Mom," Mattie said, smiling at Mac. "You gotta see this."

"What is it?" Mac asked.

"When everyone saluted Dad, I saw Mandy and had to get a picture," she grinned, showing Mac the LCD screen of their digital camera.

Mac looked at the picture and put her hand to her mouth. "Oh! That is the cutest thing… I have to show your dad!"

Taking the camera, she moved to Harm.

"Honey," Mac said, nodding to another person that was congratulating her husband. "You have to see this."

Harm looked at Mac with raised eyebrows, as she showed him the picture. "Oh, that is too adorable," he said. "Who took that?"

"Mattie," Mac smiled, as they looked at it again.

Mandy, who was being held by Josh Pendry, was looking at her father, saluting him along with everyone else in the room, a very serious expression on her face.

"We'll make a Sailor out of her, yet," Harm smiled.

"Think again, Squid," Mac said. "This one's gonna be a Marine; watch. Mandy!" she called, causing the entire room to become quiet for a moment. "Semper Fi!"

Mandy smiled at Mac and punched her fist in the air. "Ooh-Ra!" she said.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing as Harm looked incredulously at his wife. "_You_ taught her that?"

Mac winked at him, linking her arm into his and kissing him softly. "Better believe it."

Harm groaned good naturedly. "Grreeaat…"

"Better do something about that, Admiral," AJ called out with a smile as everyone chuckled, and the champagne and sparkling cider was passed around, just before the countdown to midnight began.

When they reached one, there were cheers, and many horns being blown, as people shared toasts and kisses.

"Happy New Year, Mrs. Rabb," Harm said, kissing his wife tenderly. "To our beautiful family…" he said, clinking his glass to hers.

"To many, many years of love and happiness," Mac said, before they each took a sip of their drinks. Oblivious to anyone else around them, Harm and Mac shared a kiss full of passion and promise.

Deanne cuddled her grandson close when she saw the tender scene, smiling. "If I have anything to say about it, you and your sisters will always know just how lucky you are that your parents love each other so very much."

Chris looked up at his grandmother and smiled at her.


	79. Chapter 79

A/N: First off, Babyland is an indoor play area designed for kids under three. As always, THANK YOU!!! to those that reviewed. I ALWAYS appreciate it, and it keeps me motivated! I think I'm getting pretty close to wrapping up this epic, but I've already got several short stories in the works that are sequels of a sort. Enjoy...

**01:41 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**New Year's Eve**

The party had finally started winding down a bit, as several of the guests had started leaving. Mac and Harm were making the rounds through the crowd, determining who would be needing a cab, or other means of transportation, to take them home. They were determined that none of their guests would be driving if they were too intoxicated to do so.

On one such pass through the living room, Mac overheard a conversation between Lt. Commander Hall and a young woman he was obviously trying to impress. Not being one to eavesdrop, Mac tried to ignore him, but something he said got her attention and immediately fueled her anger.

"… so when they were talking about who they could send to help handle the situation, I did it just like Commander Brumby paid me to and suggested that Admiral Rabb… he was still a Captain, then… would be the perfect choice for the assignment. Not only is he a skilled litigator, who knows the law really well, but he's one of the best pilot's in the Navy. He could serve in a dual capacity," Hall was saying, slightly slurring some of his words.

"Why would this Brumby hire you to try and get Admiral Rabb sent out to this assignment?" the girl asked, confused.

"Oh, that's easy," Hall said, smiling. "Brumby was engaged to Rabb's wife a few years back, but when he dumped his plane in the Atlantic trying to get back for their wedding, she called off the wedding for the next day. She wouldn't reschedule it because she was really in love with Rabb and just didn't want to 'fess up to it, so Brumby called it off completely and went back to Australia. But he's still in love with her, and wants to get even with Rabb. So he figured that if he could get Rabb out of the country, he could make nice with Rabb's wife and family, and if Rabb got killed, which he was really hoping for, then he would be there to comfort the family and move in on the grieving widow and have an instant family with the woman he wants."

Mac, at this point, was seeing red as she grabbed the Lt. Commander and spun him around. "He. Did. _What_?" she hissed.

Hall, realizing his mistake, swallowed hard, eyes bugging out of his head. "Um… he…"

"I heard you!" Mac growled, nostrils flaring. "With me. Now." She pulled the now frightened young man with her towards where AJ and Harm were sharing a laugh over something Miranda had said to them.

Harm, seeing the look on his wife's face, called Lily over and asked her to take Mandy. "What is it?" he asked, noticing not only the furious look Mac had, but the terrified look on Lt. Commander Hall's face.

"Tell them," she said to the young man. "All of it."

Lt. Commander Hall looked between Mac, Harm, and AJ, eyes wide. He was sobering up very quickly. "I, uh, I…"

"NOW!" Mac barked.

Lt. Commander Hall jumped, and began to spill the entire story. He told them how he had met Commander Brumby while he'd been at JAG one afternoon helping Harm with some work for the CNO. Mac had arrived with the kids to have lunch with Harm, and Hall and Brumby had struck up a conversation about the family.

Over the next few weeks, Hall and Brumby had met for drinks many times, inevitably talking about Captain Rabb and his family. Brumby had shared his history with Harm and Mac, which had garnered sympathy from Hall, who had been dumped by a girl not too long before for another man.

That's when Brumby had offered to pay him a large sum of money to help him come up with a way to get Rabb out of the country, preferably into a dangerous situation. The less likely it was for Rabb to return, the more he'd pay Hall.

"How much did he pay you?" Mac asked, still livid.

"Half a million; American," he said quietly.

"Where did Mic get that kind of money?" Mac wondered aloud, confused.

"Apparently he's from a wealthy family," Hall replied, not looking at her. "Old money."

AJ shook his head, pulling out his cell phone and making a call. "MP's are on the way," he told Harm. "Commander, I suggest you put a muzzle on it and don't say another word. If you're lucky, you might be able to cut a deal with the prosecution, in return for testifying against Commander Brumby," he told Hall.

"Yes, sir," Hall said quietly, suitably chastised.

"Mac, who all overheard what Hall had to say?" Harm asked. "We need to get their information so they can be questioned by the JAG in charge of the investigation."

Mac motioned for him to follow her into the living room, where she pointed out the right people. She allowed Harm and AJ to handle it, as she was too upset.

Moving to the family room, she noticed that more people had filtered out. Word was spreading quickly that something was up, and people were making a hasty exit. Sighing, she walked over to where her mother and Grammy were sitting in a couple of chairs, talking quietly. Chris was in her mother's lap, and he was starting to get very cranky.

"I'll take him, Mom," Mac said, reaching for her son. "He's due to be fed, so I'll get him ready for bed and put him down."

"Do you need any help?" Deanne asked.

"No, thank you, I've got it," Mac said. She gave her a small smile. "Thanks for offering."

"Anytime," Deanne said, watching her daughter cuddle her son close and head up the stairs.

"She's pissed," Chloe said.

"What?" Deanne asked.

Chloe told them about the conversation she'd just overheard, shaking her head. "I knew Bugme was bad news."

"Bugme?" Grammy asked, confused.

"That's what Harm always called Mic Brumby. He never did like the guy, and he knew that calling him Bugme upset Mac," she said. "Turns out he was right all along."

"Should someone go talk to her?" Deanne asked.

"No," Chloe said, shaking her head. "When Mac is really upset about something, it's best to let her cool off for awhile and figure things out. If you try to push her, she'll say something she doesn't really mean, and then that just makes things worse."

"You seem to know her pretty well," Deanne replied.

"She's my sister," Chloe shrugged. "It's my job to know these things."

**03:04 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**New Year's Eve**

Harm stepped quietly into Chris' room and closed the door, kneeling beside the rocking chair where Mac, who had changed into her favorite bathrobe, was holding a now sleeping Chris.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

Mac sighed, shrugging. "Yeah."

"May I put him in his crib?" Harm asked, nodding to their sleeping son.

Mac nodded, allowing him to lift Chris from her arms. She watched as he tenderly kissed their baby boy's forehead before he placed him in the crib, covering him with the blankets and rubbing his back soothingly for a moment. It struck her, yet again, what a wonderful, loving father he was.

Harm turned to find her watching him intently and he smiled tenderly at her, holding his hand out to her. "Come on," he said. "Everyone's gone, including the caterers. Lily and Jack got Mandy changed and settled for the night before they went out to her apartment; the older kids are in bed, as are Grammy and your mom, so it's just us now."

"I just want to check on Mandy," Mac said, as they closed the door to Chris' room.

Harm nodded and followed her into Mandy's room.

After they'd both leaned over to kiss her goodnight, they made their way to their bedroom and closed the door, and Harm pulled Mac to him for a gentle, passionate kiss.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too," Mac murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his chest. "Is it ever going to end?" she finally asked, after several minutes.

"What?" Harm asked, unsure what she meant.

Mac shook her head slightly and pulled away, wrapping her arms around her own waist and moving towards the balcony doors. "Are we _ever_ going to be allowed to just live our lives in peace? It seems just when things are settling down and starting to go well, something comes along and throws a wrench in the gears and things go crazy again! Just for once, I'd like to _not_ have something exciting happen to us… just to be able to live our lives, take care of our family, without something outrageous happening!"

Harm bit back the chuckle he had on his lips, knowing that she was really upset about this. "Mac… this is who we are," he said softly.

"No," she said emphatically, shaking her head. "No. It's who we _were_. We have three children now… we can't afford to be like that anymore. I don't want our children put in danger, be it physical or emotional. The life we lived when we were single… that has to be put behind us once and for all."

Harm stood there silently for several minutes studying her. He'd never seen her this upset before, and that was really saying something. Even though she wasn't yelling or throwing a fit, her quiet determination spoke louder than anything else she could have said or done, and he realized that she was right. They weren't the same people they used to be when they both worked at JAG. Hell, they weren't even the same people they were three months ago, before his most recent crash.

Mac was right; their children and family had to come first.

"Okay," he said, nodding slowly. "Okay."

"Okay?" Mac asked, confused.

"You're right, Mac," he said. "I'm going to put in for my retirement."

Mac's eyes widened. "But… you just made Admiral," she said. "Dad's retiring in a month, so you could end up with his job."

Harm chuckled, shaking his head. "I _never_ wanted to be the JAG, Mac," he said. "I don't have the patience for the politics." He moved to take her into his arms. "Would you make up your mind?" he teased.

Mac gave him a small smile, nodding.

"Seriously," Harm said. "We've talked about this before, but I think the time is right. I'm going to retire from the Navy, and then we'll find something to occupy us around here for a few months until summer. When school lets out, we can spend the summer traveling and just being with our children… maybe bring Chloe, Josh, and Troy along for some of it. When school resumes in the Fall, you and I can talk about what we want to do with the rest of our lives."

Mac looked up at him, her eyes shining. "Really?"

Harm smiled, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly. "Really."

Mac nodded slowly. "I think that sounds like a good plan," she sighed, snuggling close to him again.

"Me, too," he said, kissing the top of her forehead. "Now, we have two babies that got their schedule all messed up today, so we're going to need to get some sleep if we're going to be able to deal with their crankiness tomorrow."

Mac chuckled, nodding. "Good idea." Releasing Harm, she slid her robe off and put it on the chest at the foot of the bed, climbing in to her side of the bed. As soon as Harm was in bed, too, she snuggled up to him and kissed his chest. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, flipping off the light.

"Harm?" Mac asked after they'd laid there nearly half an hour, but were both still wide awake, too keyed up to sleep.

"Yeah?" he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

"Make love to me?" she asked softly.

Harm smiled, rolling them so he was partially covering her body with his own. He kissed her tenderly, then nuzzled her ear. "Anytime, Mac… anytime."

**12:19 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**New Year's Day**

Mac opened one eye and sighed, then sat bolt upright. "Harm!" she said, pushing the covers off of her and climbing out of bed, pulling on her nightgown and robe. "Harm!"

"Hmm?" Harm mumbled. "What's wrong?"

"It's after noon," Mac said. "I haven't heard a peep from either of the kids."

Harm opened both eyes at that, and started moving. "I'm sure everything's fine," he said. "Grammy and Lily probably have them."

"I need to find out for myself," Mac said, putting her slippers on and leaving the bedroom. She went to Chris' room first and, upon finding it empty, moved to Mandy's. When that room was empty as well, she knocked on Mattie's door and stuck her head in.

Nothing.

Moving down the stairs, she listened intently for sounds that indicated the family was in the family room or the kitchen. Not hearing anything, she was starting to become distressed.

The family room was empty, and she didn't see anyone in either the dining room or the kitchen area. A piece of paper with the words 'Harm and Mac' in bold red letters, stuck to the refrigerator door, caught her eye. Grabbing it, she began to read, just as Harm joined her.

"Harm and Mac: We all got up and cleaned the house this morning, after we fed the munchkins. Now we're all going to the mall, before we drop the older kids at the movies and take the little ones to Babyland. We thought you and Harm would appreciate a day to yourselves. Be home before supper; don't worry about us, we have the cell phones and know how to reach you. Have fun! Lily, Jack, Grammy and Deanne."

Mac looked up at her husband and smiled. "How sweet. I ought to kill them for scaring me half to death, but it's sweet nonetheless."

Harm chuckled, pulling her to him and kissing her. "Hungry?" he asked, kissing her neck.

"A little," she nodded. "Why don't we get dressed and go get something to eat, then come back and make use of that hot tub of ours?"

Harm smiled. "I like the way you think, Mrs. Rabb."

They went upstairs and took a leisurely shower together before getting dressed in comfortable, casual clothing. Then they made their way to the local café and had a light meal, enjoying one another's company.

When they arrived home, they went upstairs and changed into their bathrobes, before making their way down to the hot tub room.

Harm made sure to lock the door, before they climbed in and relaxed in each other's arms. Since he'd promised the teenagers they could use it later that day, they didn't do anything more than kiss and cuddle. When things started to get more intense, Harm climbed out of the hot tub and pulled on his robe, before lifting Mac out of the tub and putting hers on her, too. Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her through the house and up the stairs to their bedroom, where they quickly removed their robes and climbed into their bed, picking up where they'd left off downstairs.

Over an hour later, sated and relaxed, Harm and Mac were lying on their sides facing one another, still wrapped in each other's arms as they talked, kissed and cuddled.

A quiet knock on the door made Mac lift her head to look over her husband. "It's open," she called.

Deanne stuck her head in, looking slightly embarrassed. "I don't mean to intrude," she said. "They asked me to let you know we're back."

Mac smiled. "You're not intruding," she assured her. "Come in."

Deanne stepped in, as Harm rolled to his back, pulling Mac with him so that she was resting on his chest, propped up on her arms, smiling at her mother. "How were the kids?" she asked.

"Great," Deanne smiled. "The older kids went to the movies and then the arcade at the mall. The babies fell asleep in their stroller after lunch, so we just spent several hours wandering around the mall to let them sleep. Sarah, Lily and I sat with them in the food court and had coffee, while Jack ran some sort of errand, then when the little ones woke up, we took them to Babyland. They had a lot of fun. Mandy found some kids her own age to play with, and Chris had a great time crawling around playing with the toys for his age group. I swear that Lily has the eyes of a hawk; she knew exactly where both of them were at all times."

Mac smiled, nodding. She'd been tracing lazy patterns on Harm's bare chest as she'd listened to her mother. "She's very good with them. Harm made a good choice in Lily."

Harm, who had wrapped his right arm around his wife and was caressing her shoulder, smiled and hugged her closer, kissing her temple. "She's definitely become a member of the family," he nodded. "She's a good kid."

"We'll be down in a few minutes," Mac told her mother. "We can figure out what to do about dinner, then."

Deanne nodded and turned around, moving to the bedroom door, closing it softly behind her.

Harm kissed Mac again and stretched. "We'd better get up and go see our family for awhile," he said. "Mattie and I are driving Grammy to the airport tomorrow afternoon, while you and your mother spend some time together alone. Jack expects to be called back to work any day, so he wants to spend as much time with Lily as he can, so I gave her tomorrow night off."

Mac smiled, listening to Harm ramble on as he climbed out of bed and started dressing. She had sat up in the bed, pulling her knees up in front of her, as she watched him move about the room.

Harm had pulled on his jeans and a casual shirt, pausing just before he put his slippers on to look at his wife. "Aren't you joining us?" he asked.

"Mmm," she nodded. "In a minute. I was just enjoying watching you."

Harm raised an eyebrow and then smiled, pulling her to him for a lingering kiss. "Better get moving; our son hasn't nursed all day and is probably getting pretty cranky."

Mac nodded in agreement. She'd had the foresight to use the breast pump earlier, but she was still feeling a little full. "I'll be down in a few minutes," she promised.

Harm kissed her again and winked at her, before he left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Mac grabbed some clothes and sighed happily as she moved to the bathroom to get dressed. She was happy to have Grammy Sarah, Chloe, her mother, and Jack here visiting, but she was looking forward to the time when it was just the Rabb clan again.

She'd been infinitely grateful for this day alone with her husband.

Smiling to herself, she finished dressing and headed down to join the family.


	80. Chapter 80

Okeyday! I've had a couple of requests in the reviews, and a bunch of private emails, asking me to make this story an even 100 chapters. Now, I can wrap it up in another couple of chapters... but I have enough ideas to make it to a hundred, as well! Sooo... I need a vote! How many people want me to make this story an even 100? Let me know! As always, _THANK_ _YOU _to everyone that has posted a review!!!! You have no idea how much they mean to me! They also keep me motivated to keep posting! Warning: there's a couple of foul words in this chapter~ you have been warned! Enjoy...

**09:02 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

Harm placed his hand on Mac's back as he walked with her towards AJ's office. Stopping in front of Jennifer Coates' desk, Harm smiled at the young woman.

"AJ's expecting us, Jen, could you let him know we're here?" he asked.

Jen stood and snapped to attention. "Of course, Admiral," she said. "I'll let him know right away, sir."

Mac smiled, as Harm shook his head in exasperation.

"As you were," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Admiral Chegwidden is waiting for you; says to go right in," she said.

"Thanks, Jen," Mac said.

They entered AJ's office and Mac moved over to hug him and Harm shook his hand.

"So, what did Mic have to say for himself?" Mac asked, once they were seated.

"I don't know," AJ told her. "He hasn't made an appearance yet this morning. MP's are under orders to take him into custody the minute he shows up and escort him to my office, before he's taken to the brig. I've already contacted the RAN; they're sending their own guards to escort him home to face charges."

Mac shook her head. "What the _hell_ was he thinking?"

"Mac… the man is still in love with you. I don't think he's thinking very clearly at the moment," Harm told her.

"After almost five years?" she asked in disbelief.

The phone on his desk rang again, and AJ answered it. "Send them in," he said, hanging up. He looked at Harm and gave a slight nod towards Mac, as two MP's escorted a cuffed Mic Brumby into the office. Standing, AJ moved in front of him.

"What's going on, Admiral?" Mic asked, obviously annoyed. "I show up from an interview this morning, and these blokes put me in chains."

"Commander, if I were you, I'd tread very lightly," AJ said tightly. "The night before last, Admiral Rabb and his wife~"

"_Admiral_ Rabb?" Mic asked in disbelief, cutting AJ off. "He's been promoted again? What the bloody hell?"

AJ glared at him, getting right in his face. "You'd better snap to, mister," he growled. "You're in enough trouble, without adding insubordination to the list! As I was saying, _Admiral_ Rabb and his wife held a New Year's Eve party, and Lt. Commander Hall was overheard bragging to a young woman about how you hired him to help get Admiral Rabb out of the country, preferably into a situation that would likely get him killed, so that you could, and I quote, 'move in on the grieving widow'… I've contacted your commanding officer in the Royal Australian Navy and he is sending someone to escort you home, where you will face several charges, including conduct unbecoming and conspiracy."

Mic's jaw tightened and he glared straight ahead.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" AJ asked him angrily.

"I believe I have the right to remain silent, _sir_," Brumby said sarcastically. "I think it's best if I do just that."

Mac jumped out of her chair and moved to stand in front of Mic, her eyes blazing. "You arrogant, self-serving, son of a bitch!" she said, landing a right cross that nearly knocked the stunned Australian on his behind.

Harm grabbed his wife and pulled her away from Mic, looking at AJ with wide, shocked eyes. "Mac! Mac!" he said, pulling her to him in an effort to calm her down.

"Get him out of here," AJ ordered the MP's.

The MP's, both Marines who knew and respected Mac, roughly grabbed Mic and pushed him out the door towards the holding area until arrangements were made to take him to the brig, to wait for his escort back to Australia.

The minute they were gone, AJ looked at Mac, who was now sobbing against Harm. "You okay, Mac?" he asked softly, bewildered by the emotion the normally tough-as-nails former Marine was exhibiting.

"How could he do something so awful, and not even seem to be sorry for it?" she asked quietly, shaking her head.

"I don't know," AJ said, looking up at Harm. "But I promise you, he will pay for it."

"Mac… I know what he did was terrible, but I'm still here," Harm said. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?" He placed his forefinger under her chin and tilted her face up so that she would look at him. "Okay?"

Mac sniffed and nodded. "I need to use the ladies' room," she said quietly. "I'll be right back."

Harm and AJ watched her go, and then AJ looked at his son-in-law.

"How long has she been doing that?" he asked.

Harm winced. "It started about a month after Chris was born," he said. "My mother said that it's because they had to take everything out to save her… it's got her hormones all out of whack. It could take a couple of years for her to settle down."

AJ gave him a sympathetic look and nodded, patting him on the shoulder. "Better you, than me."

Harm grinned tightly. "Gee, thanks, sir."

"Anytime, son," AJ said, returning his grin. "Now, you said something on the phone about wanting to retire?"

Harm nodded slowly. "Yes, sir," he replied. "My twenty is up and I've decided I want to concentrate on my family for a year or two, before I decide what I want to do with the rest of my life."

"You could have this chair in another couple of months, you know," AJ said seriously.

"With all due respect sir, I don't need the headache and I have no patience for the politics involved," Harm said, then sighed, looking his friend and mentor in the eye. "I promised Mac, AJ… it's time to put my family first."

AJ looked at Harm for a moment, before nodding. "I understand," he said quietly. "Maybe if I'd had the guts to do what you're doing, I wouldn't be alone now."

"You're not alone, sir," Harm insisted. "We're your family now and as long as you have us, you'll never be alone."

AJ leaned back in his chair and smiled at the young man before him. "Thank you, son."

**13:46 EST**

**Outback Steak House**

**Arlington, VA**

Mac and Deanne took their seats and thanked the hostess, opening their menus.

"Have you ever had the 'Bloomin' Onion'?" Mac asked her mother.

"The bloomin' what?" Deanne asked with a puzzled frown.

Mac smiled. "Obviously, not. It's an appetizer. They cut this onion and dip it in this batter and deep fry it. When it comes out, it resembles a flower. They serve it with a dipping sauce that is to die for."

"Sounds extremely fattening," Deanne smiled.

"It is," Mac agreed. "But it's worth every pound. Wanna try it?" she grinned.

"Well, now I have to," Deanne said, returning her grin. "But you'll have to let me use your gym to work it off, later."

"I'll join you," Mac promised.

The waitress came over and introduced herself, and they both ordered plain iced teas and Mac ordered the Bloomin' Onion to start them off, telling the waitress they needed more time to decide what they wanted. As soon as she was gone again, they went back to their menus.

"How did your meeting with AJ go this morning?" Deanne asked.

Mac sighed. "It was okay… I belted Mic."

Deanne looked surprised. "What?"

Mac nodded. "Dad told him that he'd been caught, and that he was being sent home to face charges, and he wasn't even sorry," she said quietly. "I got so angry… I went over and hit him; hard."

"Did it make you feel better?" Deanne asked.

Mac shook her head. "No… it scares me sometimes, you know; when I get like that. It makes me worry that I'll turn out to be like Joe.""You are _nothing_ like him," Deanne assured her. "What you did was perfectly justifiable. That man hurt you, and tried to hurt your family; you had every right to hit him for that."

Mac smiled slightly and nodded.

"AJ seems to be a wonderful man," Deanne said. "I was surprised to hear that he officially adopted you. How did that happen?"

Mac told her about the Admiral; how he had taken her into his command and challenged her, chastised her when he needed to, and showed faith in her. She told her mom about the time, not long after she'd started at JAG, that she'd almost kissed him, but how they'd averted that disaster and moved past it.

She paused only long enough to accept their Bloomin' Onion and place their lunch orders, smiling when her mother tried it and agreed that the appetizer was worth the five pounds they were likely to gain from it.

Then she continued and told her how, over the years, AJ had grown to be more of a fatherly figure in her life, so that when he'd finally made the offer to adopt her, it had seemed like the most natural course of action in the world.

"It sounds as if he is very fond of you," Deanne smiled, happy that there was someone in her daughter's life that cared for her in a fatherly way.

"As I am of him," Mac said, returning the smile. "He likes you, you know."

Deanne looked shocked. "What? How do you know that?"

"I can tell. He kept asking me questions about you New Year's Eve, and he was more than a bit disappointed to hear that you're seeing someone," Mac told her. "He was engaged not too long ago, but broke it off when he caught her cheating on him. It devastated him, but he's pretty tough, so I think he's ready to move on."

"If I were staying here, I might consider it," Deanne smiled. "I don't think things will ever get serious between Alex and I. He's a recovering alcoholic and, though he's been sober for ten years, I'm just not willing to risk putting myself in the position to ever be where I was with Joe, again."

The waitress soon brought their food over and they talked while they ate. They cleared the air between them over some lingering issues and by the end of the meal, Mac felt that she'd finally connected with her mother in a way she never thought she would.

Maybe being a mother herself made a difference.

"Would you consider moving here?" Mac asked curiously, after they'd finished eating and were sipping their iced teas. "Harm and I would be more than happy to help you get settled in."

Deanne was quiet for several moments as the waitress came and refilled their tea glasses, clearing their plates. As soon as the waitress had left them alone again, Deanne looked at Mac. "I can't make any promises, Sarah, but I will consider it. I've really enjoyed this time here with you and your family, and I've especially liked spending time with you."

"I've really enjoyed spending time with you, too," Mac said, smiling shyly. "We're taking the kids and traveling this summer, so if you decide you want to move here, you could come and stay at our house and house-sit for us while we're gone. I'll even let you drive my Corvette," Mac smiled, then she turned serious. "Honestly, Mom, you need to do what is best for you. If staying in Seattle is it, then don't feel guilty about that. I'm just happy that we've gotten a chance to spend time together and talk."

"You don't know what it means to me, to hear you say that," Deanne said, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, don't do that," Mac said, smiling even as her own eyes teared up. "You'll get me started."

Deanne chuckled as Mac paid the check.

They gathered their things and stood, heading out to the car and Deanne paused, turning to face her daughter.

"I'm so very proud of you, Sarah," she said, hugging her daughter close. "I love you, so much."

Mac hugged her mother back. "I love you, too, Mom… and I'm proud of you, too."

They both pulled away and wiped their eyes, laughing again before they climbed into Mac's car and headed back home.

**18:14 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Dinner was finished and the kitchen cleaned up, so Harm, Mac and Deanne were relaxing in the family room while the babies played nearby.

Grammy Sarah had called a short while earlier to let them know that she'd arrived safe and sound back at the farmhouse, Mattie and Chloe were at the mall with Troy and Josh, and Lily and Jack were out somewhere having a quiet dinner together.

Deanne was sitting in a chair, while Harm was sitting on one end of the couch with Mac's head in his lap and her body stretched out, her feet on the armrest.

Mandy was playing with some brightly colored plastic blocks, while Chris chewed on one and occasionally tried to hand it to his sister. Looking over at her parents, Mandy picked up a block in each hand and ran over to show them her prizes with a wide smile.

"I see," Mac said, nodding to the toddler. "Blocks."

"Bock?" Mandy asked.

"Mmmhmm," Mac nodded. "Blocks." She pointed to the one in Mandy's right hand. "This block is red," she said, then pointed to the other one. "This block is blue."

Mandy frowned at each one, then showed them to Mac again. "Bock."

"Yes," Mac said, smiling. "They're both blocks, but they are different colors. See? Red. Blue." As she said the color, she'd point to the correct block.

Mandy blinked, then frowned, setting the blocks on Mac's abdomen and running over to get two more. Showing them to Mac, she gave her a curious look. "Bock?"

Mac nodded. "Yes; this one is green," she said, pointing to the one in Mandy's right hand, "and this one is yellow," she pointed to the left.

Mandy's eyes widened and she took in a sharp breath of air. Looking at Harm, she picked up the red block and held it up to his shirt, blinking up at him in surprise.

Harm smiled at her, nodding. "My shirt is red, just like the block."

Mandy handed him the red block and picked up the blue one, holding it against her jumper, looking at Mac.

Mac nodded, smiling. "Yep. The block and your dress are both blue."

Mandy looked at the blocks, holding each one up to Mac's shirt and frowning. When she didn't find one that matched, she ran over and checked the rest of the stack. Still not finding one, she frowned and came back, tugging on Mac's shirt. "Dat?"

Mac smiled at her again. "My shirt is purple," she told her. "You don't have any purple blocks."

"Why?" Mandy asked.

"I don't know why," Mac told her. "There just aren't any purple blocks in your set."

Mandy pointed at Mac's pants. "Dat?"

"My pants are black," Mac told her.

For the next forty-five minutes, Mandy went around the family room comparing the colors of her blocks with the colors in the room. If they matched, or were close, she'd get excited as her parents or Gramma told her the color. If it didn't match, she'd frown and ask 'dat?', waiting until they'd told her what color it was before moving on to another item.

Lily and Jack returned, coming into the family room, greeting the other adults. When they saw Mandy hold a blue block up to the curtains, they looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"The curtains are blue, just like the block is blue," Harm smiled. "Just like my jeans are blue."

Mandy bounced up and down excitedly, nodding. "Boo!" she said, running over and setting the block back on Mac's abdomen and looking at Lily. Grabbing the green block, she ran over and held it up to Lily's dress.

"What are we doing?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harm laughed at the expression on his friend's face. "Mandy has learned the concept of colors," he said. "Now she's excited about it, and is happily practicing her new skill."

"Oookaaay," Jack said, watching as Mandy smiled up at Lily.

Lily kneeled down and kissed Mandy's cheek, touching the block. "The block is green," she said, smiling. "My dress is green, too."

Mandy nodded, bouncing up and down. "Geen!"

"That's right, pumpkin," Lily said. "Green."

With an excited squeal, Mandy ran over to Mac and set the block down.

Chris started fussing and Harm looked at his watch. "I think our boy is ready for his bath and his bedtime snack," he told Mac, smiling.

Mac moved her head to let him get up, thanking him when he collected all of Mandy's blocks from her abdomen and dumped them in the toy box. "Mandy," she scolded, when Mandy squealed angrily at her father for taking her blocks. "Do you need to sit in time out?"

Mandy stopped immediately and shook her head. "No."

Deanne looked away to hide her smile.

"Good girl," Mac nodded. "Come on; bath time," she said, getting up.

"Okay!" Mandy grinned.

Mac scooped the toddler up and carried her over to Jack and Lily. "Kiss Uncle Jack," she said, waiting for Mandy to do so.

"G'night, squirt," Jack said, smiling at her.

"Nigh, nigh," Mandy said.

"Kiss Auntie Lily," Mac told her.

"Nigh, nigh," Mandy grinned, doing as she was told.

Lily smiled at her, brushing the hair from her forehead. "Good night, princess."

Mac grabbed Lily's hand and stared at the diamond ring she was now wearing. Grinning broadly at her friend, she called to her husband, who had finished putting toys away and had just picked up a very fussy Chris.

"Harm! Get over here!" she said.

Harm, looking concerned, moved over to where they were. "What's wrong?"

"Tell him!" Mac said, still smiling broadly.

Lily held up her left hand and showed Harm her ring, smiling broadly.

Harm's eyes widened and he looked at Jack. "No way."

Jack shrugged uncomfortably, then nodded. "Uh, yeah…" He put his arm around Lily's waist and hugged her to him. "We're getting married."

Mac squealed happily and hugged them both, then moved so Harm could hug Lily and shake Jack's hand.

"Congratulations!" Mac said. "I'm so happy for you!"

"You take care of her, or I'll have to kick your ass," Harm said, smiling at his old friend.

Jack smiled down at Lily, his eyes shining with love. "You don't have to worry about that, Hammer. I promise you that."


	81. Chapter 81

A/N: You guys ROCK!!! THANK YOU!!!!! for all of the AWESOME reviews! Guess we're gonna take this epic to a hundred! I hope I'm up to the challenge! Keep reviewing~ it keeps me motivated!! Again, special thanks to marksteelejr for the ideas for Harm's awards and promotion! I have no idea how this ceremony would go in real life, so creative liberties have been taken... please don't write to tell me it's wrong, beause I am well aware that it probably is! Enjoy...

**16:24 EST**

**White House**

**Washington, D.C.**

**March 31st**

All of the Rabb family, and most of their friends, were in attendance of the awards ceremony for Harm. Mac and Harriet, even though they were retired, were both dressed in their dress uniforms, as were the rest of the officers in attendance. Since they were allowed to wear their uniforms up to three times a year, the two women felt this was a good reason to do so.

Trish and Deanne were holding Mandy and Chris, respectively, trying to keep the children quiet during the ceremony for their father.

Mac had been one of the few officers asked to stand on the stage, as she was Harm's wife, and she stood at attention, waiting for Harm's name to be called. She didn't know why she was so nervous; she wasn't the one receiving the award.

The President stepped forward and waited for the SecNav to call Harm forward. As soon as he did, Harm moved in front of him, standing rigidly at attention. The President smiled when he heard Admiral Rabb's daughter say loudly, "Daddy!", and didn't rebuke him when the Admiral let a small smile of his own slip. Moving to the podium with the microphone, he began his speech.

"As you are all aware, we are here today to honor Admiral Harmon Rabb, Jr. for his selfless acts of bravery, and for going above and beyond the call of duty, to save millions of lives and prevent a global nuclear catastrophe," he said. He went on to detail the events of that day in October, and then introduced the Ambassador from Japan.

"Admiral Rabb, for your act of bravery, which has brought much honor on you, your family, and your country, you are hereby awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Rising Sun," he announced. Placing the sash over Harm's head, he made sure it was adjusted properly before pinning the large medal that accompanied it to Harm's uniform. Then he saluted Harm, who returned the salute, and stepped back.

The President then stepped forward and opened the case he held. "Admiral Rabb, for your willingness to sacrifice your own life to save others, and for your selfless act of heroism, I am proud to award you today with the Congressional Medal of Honor," he said, lifting the medal from the case and placing the ribbon around Harm's neck and then saluting him, which Harm again returned, and then shook his hand. Looking at Mac, the President smiled. "Mrs. Rabb? Would you do the honors, please?"

Mac stepped forward and leaned up to kiss Harm on the cheek, carefully wiping the lipstick off and giving him a tender smile. When the master-at-arms called everyone to salute, she joined them.

The President and the Ambassador to Japan, along with the other higher-up officials, were moved back inside the White House, and the assembly was dismissed.

Harm let out a loud whoosh of air and finally relaxed.

Mac smiled at him and took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You okay, there, Sailor?"

"Just glad that's over with," he said, returning her grin as they made their way to their gathered friends and family, grateful that the press was being held at bay.

"Let's get to the limos quickly, shall we?" Frank suggested, nodding towards where a Marine security garrison was holding back a throng of reporters, all yelling to try and get their attention. "We can better relax once we get to the reception hall."

Frank had arranged for limousines to take the Rabb family and their closest friends to the reception that had been arranged at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The party was not only to celebrate Harm's awards, but would also be where he formally announced his retirement from the Navy.

Admiral Chegwidden's retirement party had been the month prior and Sturgis Turner had been placed as the interim JAG, until a permanent JAG could be confirmed and sworn in.

Mac paused a moment when they reached the steps of the Rose Garden, smiling.

"You okay?" Harm asked, as he watched her look around them.

"It was eleven years ago, almost to the day, that we met here in this garden," she said softly.

Harm paused briefly, as the memory of that day flashed through his mind. Returning her smile, he leaned forward and kissed her. "And it was two years ago that we were married here," he said, caressing her face tenderly. "Let's go, Colonel; everyone's waiting for us."

Mac nodded and they moved to climb into the waiting limousine.

"You do realize that you're going to have to give at least one formal interview, don't you?" AJ asked Harm pointedly, as the limo pulled away to the flash of several cameras.

Harm winced. "I hate being in the spotlight," he muttered.

AJ just grinned at him.

"It could be fun, Dad," Mattie said, bumping his shoulder with her own and smiling. "You just have to be creative and play with their heads."

Harm looked at her incredulously. "Mattie!"

Everyone chuckled, then came up with ideas he could use for his interview answers, as the limos drove the streets of DC towards the hotel. When they finally pulled up in front of the Hyatt Regency, the driver got out and opened the door for them.

Once inside, Harm and Mac waited until they were sure that the majority of their guests had arrived, before they began making their way through the crowd to welcome them personally.

Bud, who had been asked to be the formal Master of Ceremonies, called for everyone's attention and asked them to take their seats, as dinner would be served in just a few moments."Guess we better bite the bullet and get this show on the road," Harm murmured to Mac.

"Suck it up, Sailor," she grinned at him. "If you're a good boy, I'll give you a special reward tonight," she murmured in his ear.

Harm's eyes darkened and he smiled seductively. "In that case, I'll do whatever you want me to, Marine."

"You can start by putting your six into your seat, so the caterers will serve dinner," Mac whispered. "I'm starving!"

Harm laughed, as he escorted her to their seats at the head table, holding her chair for her before he sat down in his own.

**20:54 EST**

**Hyatt Regency Hotel**

**Harm and Mac's Room**

**Washington, DC**

Harm stepped out of the bathroom and nearly passed out on the bed with a contented sigh. He listened as Mac turned on the hairdryer in the bathroom, smiling to himself.

The reception had been a success, and Harm's formal announcement that he was retiring from the Navy was met with a great deal of surprise from those that hadn't known it beforehand. SecNav had tried to talk him out of it once again, telling him that he was practically a shoe-in for the new JAG, but Harm had graciously, and respectfully, declined. Shaking his head sadly, the SecNav, and the CNO, had signed Harm's retirement papers on the spot, shaking Harm's hand and then saluting him.

As of Monday morning, Harm was no longer in the Navy.

Harm smiled as he realized that he was perfectly happy with that.

"You okay in there?" he called, when the hairdryer had been silent for several moments and Mac had yet to come out of there, wondering if Mac's legs felt as much like rubber as his did. Probably not, as hers had been wrapped around his waist while he held her against the shower wall.

"I'm fine; be right out," Mac called back.

Smiling, Harm went back to his thoughts, wondering how the grandparents were faring with the grandkids.

Trish, Frank, Grammy and Deanne were watching the kids for the weekend, so that Harm and Mac could celebrate their wedding anniversary, though it was a week early. With both of the babies' birthdays coming up, and the plans they needed to make for their family vacation that summer, they knew this may be their only chance to have time alone for awhile.

Deanne would be heading home to Seattle again, having only come for the weekend, but she would be packing her belongings in preparation to move into the Rabb home for the summer. She would be seeing Commander McCool as her new therapist, and had a job lined up at a local law firm as a filing clerk, so she assured them she would be fine while they were away.

Lily had, reluctantly, given her notice that she would be leaving the Rabb family, though she would remain a consistent part of their lives. The tenant that had rented out Harm's loft had given notice, so Lily had moved in there two weekends earlier. She had gotten a job at Georgetown University Hospital, and was going to be attending Georgetown U to get her Master's Degree in nursing, while she and Jack made wedding plans. They had set a mid-September wedding date.

Mac came out of the bathroom, flipping the light off, and leaned against the doorjamb, watching her husband as he stared up at the ceiling. Moving to lie beside him on the bed, she looked up, too. "What's so interesting up there?" she asked with a grin.

"Huh?" Harm asked, then realized her joke and chuckled. "Mmm… just thinking."

"Uh-oh," Mac quipped. "That's never good. Usually _your_ thinking gets _us_ into trouble."

Giving her an 'oh really?' look and rolling to his side, Harm grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. "Actually, I was remembering the past couple of months."

"Ooohhh… so I'm safe, after all?" she grinned.

"You're in a feisty mood," he said, nuzzling her neck. "Why don't we put that energy to good use?"

"Okay, but first I have to call and check on the kids," Mac said, pulling away from him enough to grab the bedside phone.

"Maaac," he groaned. "I'm sure they're fine. My parents, Grammy and your mom all know how to get a hold of us in an emergency."

"Humor me," Mac told him as she dialed the number for their house. After she spoke to whomever answered the phone, she hung up and smiled at him. "Dad showed up to offer his help, but I think he's really there because of my mom. Other than that, everything is fine."

"Just as I said it would be," Harm nodded, grinning when Mac hit him with a pillow. "Oh-ho, so that's how you want to play?" he asked, grabbing his own pillow and smacking her back.

Their pillow fight turned into a tickling session when their pillows ended up on the floor. Harm got the upper hand and pinned Mac to the bed, smiling down at her.

"Surrender?" he asked, grinning.

"Marines never surrender," Mac said, also grinning.

"Okay, okay, truce?" he suggested, leaning forward to kiss her.

"A truce is acceptable," she nodded, moving her lower body and smiling at his reaction.

"You don't fight fair," he breathed.

"Are you complaining?" she asked, lifting up to nibble at his neck.

"Not at all," Harm replied, rolling them so that she was on top of him and putting his hands above his head. "I have no qualms with unconditional surrender."

Mac smiled at him, leaning forward to kiss him deeply. "I can work with that."

**07:34 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Following Monday**

Harm blinked as he opened his eyes, frowning at how bright it was, glancing at his watch. Sitting bolt upright, he moved to get out of bed quickly, moving to the bathroom.

"Harm?" Mac asked, having been awakened by his sudden movements.

"Yeah?" he called from the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Mac asked, sitting up.

"It's after seven; I'm going to be late for work!" he called, turning on the shower.

Mac started laughing, as the shower turned off and Harm came out of the bathroom with a sheepish look on his face. "Forgot, huh?" she giggled.

"This is going to take some getting used to," he smiled, nodding and crawling back into the bed, pulling her to him with a sigh.

Mac nodded, kissing his chest. "It gets easier."

"That's good to hear," he said. "I nearly had a heart attack."

"Poor baby," she said sympathetically, lifting up to kiss his jaw.

"I'm surprised the kids are still sleeping," Harm said, glancing at his watch again.

"The babies were awake at four this morning. I fed Mandy some cereal and a banana while I nursed Chris. Mattie got up at five-thirty, got ready for school and caught her bus. I got Chris to go back to sleep by six thirty-eight and managed to get Mandy to go back to sleep shortly after that, then came back to bed myself," she told him.

"You've already had a full morning," he said, turning them so that he could look into her eyes. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I thought it might be nice to let you sleep in on your first official day of retirement," Mac smiled. "Besides, your parents are leaving this evening, so I wanted you to be well rested for our last day with them."

"I love you, do you know that?" Harm asked, kissing her tenderly.

"Mmm, I love you, too," Mac smiled.

"What time do you think the babies will be up again?" he asked, nibbling on her neck.

"Probably around eight-thirty, nine o'clock," she said. "Why?"

"Do you need to sleep some more?" he asked, pulling back to look into her eyes.

Mac brushed the hair from his forehead and smiled tenderly at him. "No; I'm fine."

Harm leaned forward and kissed her deeply for several long moments, before pulling back enough to kiss her forehead, down the side of her face to her neck, and then back up her jaw, before capturing her lips with his again. When he finally pulled away, he looked into her eyes and then rubbed his nose against hers. "I love just being able to hold you, and kiss you," he said softly.

"Me too," she said, caressing his face with her palms.

"Mind if we just lie here and kiss each other, and hold each other, and talk?" he asked, rubbing her cheek with the back of his palm.

"Not at all," she sighed.

Wrapping himself around her, Harm kissed her forehead and then tilted her face up so that he could kiss her again.

They stayed that way for nearly an hour, taking pleasure in the simple joy of being together, when there was a soft knock on the door.

"It's open," Mac called, just loud enough to be heard, as Harm rolled them so that he was on his back and she was partially lying on top of him, her head on his chest.

Trish poked her head around the door, smiling at them. It always warmed her heart to see them in these more tender moments. It reinforced how very much they loved each other. "Frank and I wondered if you and the children would like to join us for breakfast this morning?" she asked. "I think he's thinking someplace like Denny's or IHOP."

Harm looked down at Mac with raised eyebrows, and she smiled and nodded. "We'd love to," he told his mother. "Give us about, oh, forty-five minutes to an hour?"

"That's fine, darling," she smiled. "Oh, Mandy is already awake, so I changed and dressed her. Should I give her something to tide her over?"

"She ate about four hours ago, so unless she becomes insistent, she can wait," Mac told her. "Thank you for taking care of her for us."

"My pleasure," Trish said. "I'll keep an eye on her while you two get ready."

"Thanks, Mom," Harm said.

Trish winked at them and closed the door again.

"Guess we better get moving, Flyboy," Mac said, leaning over to kiss him before turning over and climbing out of bed.

Harm watched her as she stretched the kinks from her muscles and then moved to the bathroom, then he climbed out of bed and started making it. Once he'd finished with that, he stripped off his boxers and t-shirt, carrying them to the bathroom and placing them into the hamper.

"Almost done in there?" Harm asked Mac, who was in the shower.

"Just about," she replied. "Just rinsing my hair. You ready to get in here?"

"Yep," he said.

"Well, come on in," she told him.

Harm slipped into the shower, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the side of her neck. Trading places with her, he winked as he stuck his head under the shower head while she opened the glass door and grabbed her towel, stepping out onto the bath mat.

Drying quickly and getting dressed, she stepped into the bedroom and smiled when she saw that Harm had already made up the bed. Sitting down at the vanity, she began brushing her hair and putting on her makeup.

Harm came out of the bathroom and sat in a chair to put his socks on.

"Thanks for making up the bed," Mac smiled at him as she stood to slip her shoes on.

"No problem," he said, chuckling quietly.

"What?" Mac asked, curious as to what he found so funny.

"Nothing," he grinned.

"I can see it's something," Mac said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you about it, later," he promised. "Ready to go?"

"I am," she said. "I'll get Chris ready, if you'll go help your mom with Mandy."

"That's fine with me," he said

They stepped out of their bedroom, Mac heading across the hall to Chris' room while Harm went down the stairs.


	82. Chapter 82

A/N: I am _SO_ sorry for the delay in updating! Real life has been horrible! First my laptop crashed, then we lost our ISP... add to that the fact that my marriage is coming apart at the seams and writing 'happily ever after' is extremely difficult right now... whew! **_THANK YOU_**!!!! to everyone that has emailed, or otherwise posted reviews! Your encouragement and support mean the world to me! I am leaving for Sunny Southern California tomorrow, for a three week vacation (going to meet my 3 month old niece for the first time!), so I'm hoping to get some quiet time to write while I'm gone. I promise to post as I can, and I'm not giving up on this story! I fully intend to finish it someday! Enjoy...

**22:07 EST**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm could see the orange glow ahead, as well as the flashing red lights of the emergency crews, and his stomach tightened as he drove ever closer to his home. When he got close enough to see where the flames originated, raw fear skittered up his spine and he pulled his car to a halt, parking it as close as he could to the burning house.

A fireman caught him as he raced towards the inferno, his eyes frantically searching for any sign of his family in the chaos.

"Sir! You need to stay back!" he yelled over the noise.

"That's my house!" Harm yelled back. "Where is my wife and children?"

"The house was occupied?" the firefighter yelled, eyes wide.

Icy fingers wrapped themselves around his heart, gripping so tightly he thought that he was going to die from the pain of it. Falling to his knees, he watched helplessly as firefighters battled the firestorm that had once been his home.

He didn't register it when someone helped him to his feet and led him to a nearby patrol car; was barely aware of answering when asked if there was someone they could call to be with him, was not even cognizant of the arrivals of AJ, Bud, and Sturgis…

It was nearing dawn when the fire crews finally doused the last of the blaze and began mopping up the mess that had once been the Rabb family home.

Neither AJ, Bud, nor Sturgis spoke as they gathered around Harm, awaiting news, but well aware that it didn't look good.

Chief Gibbons made his way towards the silent group, his face grim. Motioning AJ away from the rest of the group, he spoke quietly to him, placing a hand on the retired Admiral's arm as he faltered at the news.

AJ looked with grief-stricken eyes in the direction of the man he loved like a son, and knew that this was going to kill him. Moving away to gather his composure and wipe the tears from his eyes, he took several deep breaths and squared his shoulders, rejoining the other men and placing a gentle, yet solid, hand on Harm's shoulder.

Harm looked up and the breath caught in his throat. Shaking his head in denial, he pulled out of his father-in-law's grasp and stumbled a few steps towards the house, falling to his knees and letting out a cry so full of anguish, it sliced through the pre-dawn morning and chilled everyone within earshot…

The days passed in a blur for Harm. He didn't eat, didn't sleep; was barely aware of the people that were around him. His parents arrived from La Jolla, Grandma Sarah came from Beallsville.

He sat in the fire station, listening to the Fire Chief explain to them that a gas leak in the basement had been the culprit, and answered questions from the police about why he wasn't home at the time.

"My wife and teenaged daughter wanted ice cream," he said numbly. "We'd just put the babies to bed, and were getting ready to play a board game with Mattie, when they asked me to run out for ice cream. They were going to take baths and get into their pajamas…"

"Why wasn't the leak discovered when the remodel on the house was finished?" AJ had asked angrily.

"It was in the basement, so it wasn't part of the necessary inspections," the investigator explained, shaking his head sadly. "My guess is that it had been building for awhile, and when, for whatever reason, Mrs. Rabb went down there and flipped on the light switch, a spark set off the explosion that took the whole house with it."

The investigator thanked Harm for his cooperation, nodding solemnly to AJ and Frank as he left them alone.

Harm didn't even notice when they led him out of the building.

Days later, he sat, numb and exhausted, watching as two caskets were lowered, side by side, into the ground.

He had insisted that the babies be buried in the same casket as his wife, despite the arguments everyone had made against it. They needed to be with their mother, he'd told them all; Mac would want her babies with her…

Harm never argued when Frank and Trish took him home to La Jolla with them. He wasn't even really aware of what was going on around him anymore; he was simply going through the motions.

Standing at the edge of the backyard, overlooking the ocean, Harm didn't even register the moist, icy wind that was blowing.

Frank had gone to work that afternoon, and his mother was inside making them some tea.

Harm had made his way out here, needing the isolation. A sudden fury enveloped him, followed by an utter sense of hopelessness, and he climbed over the small fence, standing on the edge of the cliff that was a sheer hundred foot drop into the stormy water of the Pacific.

"I'm coming," he whispered to his family, just before he launched himself over the edge…

**03:27 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Mac sat bolt upright and wrapped her arms around her husband when she heard him cry out, rubbing soothing circles around his back. "Harm? What is it?"

Harm took a moment to get his bearings, before wrapping his arms around his wife and kissing her nearly senseless. When he finally pulled away, he stared into her eyes, which were glittering in the moonlight filtering in through the windows, and caressed her face tenderly. "Thank God, you're alive."

Mac blinked up at him, wiping the tears from his face with her palm. "That must have been some dream," she said quietly, her heart nearly breaking at the haunted look in his eyes. "It's okay; I'm right here."

Harm nodded, and then frowned. "Get the kids," he said. "Don't turn on any lights, or anything, don't light any candles, or use any open flame… just open all the windows and get them all downstairs. Bring some clothes with you."

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly concerned, even as she climbed out of bed and pulled on some sweats, gathering a few things before she opened the windows.

"That was more than a dream," he told her, as he, too, dressed in some sweats and gathered some things. "I'm going to go get the Lexus out of the garage; _do not _turn on any lights or use any other flame or electricity…" he reiterated.

Mac nodded, moving to Mattie's room and rousing the teenager. After explaining to her that she needed to get up and get dressed, insisting that she not use any lights or candles, she waited while she dressed quickly, gathering her backpack and a few other items.

"I need you to help me get the babies," Mac said. "I think there might be a gas leak, so remember to open all the windows and not use any electricity or open flames."

"Got it," Mattie said, carefully opening her bedroom and bathroom windows before moving to Miranda's room and opening the window in there. Throwing some stuff into the diaper bag, she lifted her sleeping sister from her bed and wrapped her heavy blanket around her, carrying her into Chris' room where Mac was just lifting him from the crib.

Mac wrapped a warm blanket around Chris and they carried the unhappy children down the stairs and out the front door.

Harm had the Lexus parked in the street, already warming up, so Mac and Mattie put the younger Rabbs into their car seats and strapped them in. She and Mattie had just finished buckling themselves in, when Harm came from around the side of the house and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Gas leak?" Mac asked him, placing a hand on his arm.

"How did you know?" he asked, looking surprised.

"That's the only reason I could think of to open all the windows and not use any electricity or open flames," she replied.

"I'm not positive, but I think so," he said, nodding. "I'll call in a few hours and have them come check it out; in the meantime, I turned off the gas and power to the house."

Mac nodded, curling her fingers around his as they pulled away from the house and made their way out of the quiet neighborhood.

"Mac?" he said quietly, glancing in the rear view mirror at the kids that were all quickly falling back to sleep, now that they were warm and moving.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him.

"Thanks for not asking questions, and just trusting me," he said.

Mac leaned over and tenderly kissed his cheek. "I do trust you," she said honestly. "The look in your eyes…" she shook her head. "I never want to see that kind of fear in you again, Harm. Promise me you'll tell me about it when you're ready?"

Harm shuddered slightly, lifting her hand to kiss her fingers. "I promise."

He drove them to Fairfax, checking them into a large two-room suite at the Candlewood Suites Hotel, before going out to park the car and help carry the things they had brought with them up to their room.

Mattie offered to let Miranda sleep in the bed with her in the smaller room, while Harm set up the portable crib in the main bedroom for Chris.

Chris had begun to fuss, so Mac sat in the wing-backed chair near the window and nursed him back to sleep, gently settling him into the portable crib before changing into the t-shirt and shorts she'd brought and climbing into the bed.

Harm had made sure Mattie and Mandy were settled before joining her, pulling her into his arms. It was nearly five in the morning, so he suggested they try to sleep a bit more while the kids were sleeping. Mattie would be missing school today, but since it was a Friday, he didn't really mind.

"I love you, Mac," he said softly.

"I love you, too," she answered, smiling at him. "Get some sleep."

Harm nodded, kissing the top of her head. It was nearly two hours before he had finally settled himself enough to fall asleep, however.

**09:12 EST**

**Candlewood Suites Hotel**

**Fairfax, VA**

Big brown eyes and a round, cherubic face greeted Harm a few hours later when he awoke. Smiling at Mandy, he brushed her curls with his palm and kissed her forehead. "Good morning, Mandy," he said.

"Hunny, Daddy," she said. "Les eat."

Harm chuckled, climbing out of bed. "Did your mommy put you up to this?"

Mandy blinked at him and shook her head 'no'. "_Hunny_, Daddy," she said, this time more insistently.

"Okay," he answered. "I'm up… see? Give me a few minutes."

"Okay," she said, climbing off of the bed and running out towards the sitting room. "Daddy away!" she yelled.

"Mandy!" Mac's voice came through the door. "I told you to let Daddy sleep!"

Harm chuckled as he heard Mandy tell Mac she was hungry.

One would never know that Mandy wasn't their biological child… she was so much like Mac, it was sometimes scary.

Making his way into the master bathroom, he went to the bathroom and took a quick shower, before dressing in the sweats he'd brought the night before and moving out to the sitting room.

"Are we going out for breakfast, or should I cook?" Harm asked, leaning down to kiss Mac, who was nursing Chris.

"We should probably cook, so you can make whatever phone calls need to be made about the house. I'd rather not spend the entire weekend here, if we don't have to," Mac said.

Harm nodded his agreement. "I'll run to the store; be back soon."

Mac smiled at him, as Mattie sat at the desk, talking on the phone and working on her laptop, turning her attention to the teenager as soon as he was out the door.

"I got it, sir, thank you," Mattie was saying. "I should be back on Monday; my dad thinks there may be a gas leak at our house, so he brought us all to a hotel… I'll have the assignment done by then, and if I will be out Monday as well, I'll contact you. Thank you, again, sir." She hung up the phone and looked at Mac. "Mr. Chaney is emailing my assignment for today to me, and told me that if I can find a way to scan yesterday's assignment, I can email it to him. Otherwise, I can turn in both assignments on Monday. I've left messages for my other teachers, so they should be contacting me sometime before the end of the day."

Mac smiled at Mattie. "That's fine, sweetheart. I'm proud to see you taking the initiative and staying on top of your school work."

Mattie smiled at her mom and shrugged, nodding.

"Hunny, Mama," Mandy said, tugging on Mac's sweatshirt. "Les eat."

"Daddy went to go get it, Baby," Mac told her. "Be patient."

Mandy sighed loudly and sat on the floor in front of the television again to watch cartoons.

Mac had just finished nursing Chris, setting him on a blanket on the floor, when Harm returned. He handed her a small box of 'Cheerios', nodding to Chris and Mandy. "This should hold Mandy, until breakfast is ready."

Mac retrieved a small plastic bowl from Mandy's diaper bag and poured some of the cereal into it, setting it on the floor beside the kids. "Here, Mandy," she said. "Daddy brought you some Cheerios… share with Chris, okay?"

"Okay," Mandy said, stuffing a handful into her mouth and handing two to her brother.

"What'd you get?" Mac asked, moving to the small kitchenette to help Harm start breakfast. "I can do this, while you go make some phone calls."

"You sure?" he asked, knowing that she didn't really like to cook much. "I got some eggs, cheese, some English muffins, margarine and jam, milk, orange juice and Canadian bacon slices for you and Mattie."

"Hmm… breakfast sandwiches, huh?" Mac smiled. "I can handle that." She pulled him down for a kiss. "Go make your phone calls."

Harm smiled. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured, making his way back into the bedroom to make the necessary calls.

Two hours later, the family had finished breakfast, handled the cleanup and both Harm and Mac had showered and dressed for the day.

"What are we going to do today?" Mac asked. "It's too wet for anything outdoors."

Harm looked out the large windows at the pouring rain and nodded solemnly. "Guess we'll have to entertain the kids ourselves until nap time," he said, leering at his wife.

"_Guys_," Mattie protested, but smiling slightly. "Gross!"

"You keep thinking that," Harm said, pointing a long finger in her direction and grinning. "Where's Mandy's diaper bag?"

"In my room," Mattie said, looking up from the report she was writing.

"Is the cat in there?" he asked.

"Yep," Mattie smiled. "Made sure I got it before we left."

"That's my girl," he grinned, moving to the room Mattie and Mandy were in and pulling the plastic cat out of the diaper bag. Moving back to the sitting room, he held it out to Mandy. "Hey princess, look."

Mandy looked up from where she was scribbling with a pencil on a sheet of paper and her eyes got wide. "Kiddy!"

"Close your eyes," he said, smiling when she closed them tight, causing her nose to scrunch up. Quickly finding a place to hide the toy cat, he pressed the button on top and moved to sit beside Mac. "Okay… find the kitty."

A faint 'meow' could be heard, and Mandy's eyes widened as she listened intently, moving slowly around the room as she searched for the toy cat.

Harm smiled at Mac as she got closer to where he'd hidden it, the look of concentration on her face becoming more intense by the minute.

A few more moments, and Mandy crawled behind the chair and emerged with a triumphant smile, holding the plastic cat up for her parents to see. "Kiddy!" she announced, pressing the button on the back and causing it to 'purr' for a moment, before it shut off.

"Good job!" Mac told her, clapping her hands and smiling at her.

"Very good," Harm smiled, lifting her onto his lap when she ran over to him, and kissing her cheek. "You are a very smart girl."

"Again!" she said, holding the cat out to Mac.

"Okay," Mac said, smiling. "Close your eyes."

The game continued for another hour and a half, before Mac fed the two younger Rabbs a snack while Harm moved the portable crib into the room Mattie and Mandy were sharing.

"Sure you don't mind having them both in there with you?" Harm asked the teenager for the third time, as he came out and lifted a sleepy Christopher off of the blanket on the floor.

"Dad," Mattie said impatiently. "If I minded, I wouldn't have offered. Seriously, you and Mom need some space."

Harm smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Thank you, Mats. Love you."

"Love you, too," she said. "Now will you all _please_ go take a nap, so I can get some work done?"

Harm and Mac both chuckled, as they carried the little ones in and put them down. As soon as they were both asleep, they made their way to the master bedroom, where Harm immediately closed and locked the door, before pulling his wife to him for a tender kiss.

"I want you," Harm whispered into his wife's ear, pulling the sweatshirt over her head and kissing her again.

Mac removed his own sweatshirt, giving him a sultry look. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, laughing lightly as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.


	83. Chapter 83

A/N: Well, made it to Southern Cal~ my niece is GORGEOUS!!! Such a happy baby girl! Hubby is with his family, and I am with mine... nice, calm, separate vacation! I'm trying to find time to write, but pulling myself away from Chloe (my niece) has been hard! I promise to write as much as I can, while I have the chance! As always, THANK YOU!!!! for the wonderful feedback~ it keeps me motivated! You all rock! Enjoy...

**15:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm stood outside the house and spoke with AJ while the gas lines in the basement, as well as the ones leading to the house, were inspected for leaks. He had dropped Mac and the kids off at Bud and Harriet's, after Mac had told Harriet what had happened and the younger woman had insisted that they come for a visit, before heading to the house to meet the gas company employee.

Nearly an hour had passed before the man came out, shaking his head. "I don't know how you knew… there was no odor, which has me worried, because we put an odor in the gas just for this sort of thing… but you were right. There was enough gas built up in that basement to send this house into orbit," he said to Harm. "You and your family are very lucky. The thing that really has me worried, though, is that the pipe was tampered with… this wasn't a leak caused by construction or corrosion, though whoever did it made it look really good. I've called the Virginia State Police to come out and dust for prints; they're sending an investigator over now. In the meantime, I've opened up the basement windows and turned the gas back off, as well as leaving the power to the house shut off for now. Until that line is repaired, the house will need to stay unoccupied."

Harm and AJ exchanged worried glances at the man's news and both wondered who had done this, and why.

"How long until the pipe can be fixed?" Harm asked. "My family is living in a hotel at the moment, and my wife is not too happy with that."

The man gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't imagine she is… you have three kids? That's a handful to have in a tiny hotel room." He scratched his head and sighed. "My guess would be that the VSP are gonna want to go over this place with a fine-toothed comb, so as soon as they give the go ahead, we can begin the repairs. That shouldn't take more than four or five hours, so whenever they release me to do the work, I'll get right on it. I'd count on being in the hotel for at least the rest of the weekend, though. I'm sorry."

Harm nodded. "Not your fault; thank you. Can I at least go in and pack some things for us? We only took what we could grab quickly last night."

"Just don't light any matches," the gas company guy smiled. "I'll make sure we put it as a priority case."

"I appreciate that," Harm said, smiling. "You have my cell phone number, so just give me a call when you're ready to get to work on it."

"Will do," he said, shaking Harm's hand and moving towards the van with the gas company's logo on it.

"We need to make some inquiries," AJ said, frowning. "If this wasn't an accident, I want to know who's responsible, and what their motive is."

Harm nodded in agreement. He didn't like the idea of his family being in danger. "The first call should be to Leavenworth," he sighed. "Better make sure Palmer is still locked up… this is right up his alley."

AJ nodded in agreement, his expression sour. "Exactly what I was thinking."

A state trooper pulled up in front of the house and climbed out, moving to where the two men were speaking. "I'm looking for Harmon Rabb?"

"That would be me, sir," Harm said, extending his hand.

The trooper shook his hand and nodded when Harm introduced AJ. "We got a call saying there was a gas leak, and that the line had been tampered with?"

"That's right, sir," Harm said, nodding towards the van where the gas company employee was filling out paperwork. "He'll have all the details, but it appears that someone rigged the pipes to make the lines leak. It had built up enough gas in the basement to cause a serious explosion, had there been a spark or flame down there."

"How did you find out about it? Did you smell it?" the trooper asked.

Harm winced, grinning sheepishly. "Actually, I had a nightmare that felt… wrong. I somehow knew that it wasn't just a dream, and I gathered up my family and took them to a hotel at zero three-thirty this morning."The trooper raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't comment; he simply nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he told them, moving to speak to the gas company rep.

Nearly an hour later, the house was teeming with forensic personnel, as they dusted the gas pipes for prints and searched for clues as to who had tampered with the lines.

AJ had made some phone calls and was told that Clark Palmer was still behind bars. This did little to ease the Admirals' minds, however, as Palmer had proven in the past that he was perfectly capable of wreaking havoc while still confined.

After everyone was gone, Harm looked at AJ. "I'm not looking forward to telling Mac about all of this," he sighed. "Things were finally settling down."

"How much longer until Mattie gets out of school?" AJ asked.

"Six weeks," Harm replied. "Her finals are in four weeks, so the soonest we can pull her is in five."

"If we have to," AJ said carefully, "Mattie could stay with me for a few weeks, while you and Mac take the little ones and start your summer vacation early. It might be a good idea to get your family out of the country. Mattie could finish her schooling and then join you when the semester is over."

"I hate to do that, but we might not have a choice," Harm said, nodding. "I'll talk to Mac, and if it becomes necessary, Mattie, and let you know."

"Do you need help getting things from the house?" AJ asked.

Harm smiled and thanked him, giving him a list of things he wanted to take to the hotel from the kitchen. The primary reason he'd chosen that particular hotel, was the fact that it came with a complete, though small, kitchen, so that they didn't have to eat out all of the time.

He called Mac and Mattie and gathered together the items they asked for, before thanking AJ for all of his help, and then heading back towards the Roberts' residence to pick up his family. He really needed to talk to his wife.

**22:41 EST**

**Candlewood Suites Hotel**

**Fairfax, VA**

Harm and Mac had finally gotten both Mandy and Chris settled into bed for the night, and Mattie had finally turned in as well, so they took advantage of the huge tub in the master bathroom and settled in together, relaxing in the warm water.

"So… want to tell me what's wrong?" Mac asked, rubbing her palm along the arm he had wrapped around her.

Harm looked up towards the ceiling and sighed, before kissing the back of her head. "I'll start by telling you about my dream… or whatever it was," he said quietly.

Mac entwined her fingers with his and lifted their joined hands so that she could kiss his knuckles. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," he said, taking a deep breath. Haltingly, he told her of the horrible nightmare vision he'd had the night before, fighting back the tears and the fear, as he recounted the entire awful experience. "… I looked out over the stormy Pacific Ocean, and then looked up at the sky, before whispering to all of you that I was coming and then~" he paused, shuddering. "I jumped…"

Mac gasped, turning in the water to face her husband, her eyes full of tears. "Oh, Harm… no wonder you looked so terrified!" She placed a wet palm on his cheek, wiping away the tear that slipped down his cheek with her thumb, before leaning in to give him a tender kiss. "I'm sorry that you had to experience that, even if it was only in a dream," she said, leaning her forehead against his.

"I know," he said, hugging her close to him. "It felt so real… I somehow knew that it wasn't just a dream."

"Well, you saved our lives," she said, kissing him again. "We can be grateful for that."

"I am," he agreed, nodding. "Mac, there's more."

Mac looked at him with a puzzled frown. "What is it?"

"The gas leak wasn't caused by construction, or corrosion… someone deliberately tampered with the pipes and tried to make it look like it was natural," he said, bracing himself.

"What?" Mac asked quietly, eyes wide and fearful. "Who?"

"We don't know yet," he told her. "Virginia State Police went over the area and dusted for prints, but it's doubtful they'll find out anything. AJ called to make sure that Palmer is still in Leavenworth, and they said he is, but we all know that he is perfectly capable of causing trouble from inside."

Mac nodded. "What are we going to do? Will it even be safe to take the kids home?"

"They didn't find any prints at the house, or any other evidence for that matter, so we have round-the-clock police protection right now. AJ suggested that we leave Mattie with him until the end of the school year and start our vacation now… I don't want to do that if we can help it. I'd rather we all stay together."

Mac nodded in agreement. "So would I. We haven't finalized any vacation plans yet, anyway. Although given this information, that is probably a good thing."

"We'll probably have to extra careful not leave any kind of trail," Harm agreed. "This means we're going to have to be cautious for awhile. At least until we find out who's behind this."

"Do you think it was a random thing, or do you think whoever it was will try again?" Mac asked, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it from Harm.

"I definitely think whoever it is will try again," he sighed. "I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am." He hugged her closer to him again and rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Mac asked, frowning. "You didn't do this."

"Didn't I?" he asked, shaking his head. "Mac, I never worried about who I was pissing off, or how my actions could affect my life in the future… I only had me to worry about, and I wasn't worried. I never dreamed that someday I'd have a family to worry about, and all of that crap I pulled would come back to bite me in the ass later."

"Harm," Mac sighed. "Whether you believe it or not, you did the right thing… almost every single time. It isn't your fault that Clark Palmer is psychotic. Hell, even if it isn't Palmer, whoever it is has to have a few screws loose, and _that _is not your fault. You can't blame yourself for other people's actions."

Harm kissed the top of her head again. "I know; thanks for reminding me. I just worry about all of you, that's all. I really don't know if I could go on without all of you."

"Please don't talk like that," she said, hugging him tighter. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, caressing her bare shoulders with his palms, before moving them over the rest of her back.

Mac pulled back so that she could look him in the eyes and smiled seductively, before kissing him passionately. "Let's move this to the bedroom, shall we?"

"What's wrong with right here?" Harm asked, grinning.

"Because the bathroom amplifies the sound," Mac reminded him. "I don't think Mattie would appreciate a repeat of last weekend…"

Harm grinned sheepishly, blushing, as he recalled how uncomfortable Mattie had been around them last Sunday. When Harm had finally called her on it, she'd told them how she could hear everything they had done the night before in the bathtub, because the acoustics of the bathroom amplifies every sound. Harm had been mortified, as Mac had been, when he'd told her.

"Right," he nodded. "Better move this to the bedroom."

Mac chuckled quietly as she let the water out of the tub and stood, wrapping a large towel around her slim frame before stepping out of the tub and handing a towel to her husband. "Don't keep me waiting, too long," she smiled, disappearing into the bedroom.

Harm dropped his towel on the floor and dashed out of the bedroom, eliciting a startled shriek from Mac as he pinned her to the bed with his wet, naked body. "Was that too long?" he asked impishly.

"Harm!" Mac laughed. "We're both soaking wet!"

"Your point is?" he grinned, kissing her neck.

"Um…" Mac's eyebrows shot up when he kissed a sensitive spot behind her ear, and she lost her train of thought. "What was I saying?"

"Were you saying something?" Harm asked, kissing the spot behind her ear again.

"No," Mac sighed. "No; nothing important…"

"Good," Harm breathed, just before his mouth came down on hers.

**11:27 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Sunday**

Harm set Christopher down on the blanket on the family room floor and moved to go unload the car, as Mac set both diaper bags near the stairs and put her purse on the island that separated the kitchen from the family room.

"Mama," Mandy said, sitting beside Chris on the blanket. "Kiddy!"

Mac smiled at her, shaking her head. "Not right now, Baby. It's time for lunch, and then you and Chris are going to take a nap."

"No nap!" Mandy said defiantly, shaking her head.

Mac gave her a stern look and moved to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to pull out the items she'd need to make lunch for everyone.

Harm and Mattie finished unloading the car, before joining them. Mattie picked Mandy up and swung her in the air, making 'airplane' noises and tickling the laughing toddler, while Harm sat on the floor with Chris, picking him up long enough to kiss his cheek before he put him down and started playing with him.

"Lunch is ready," Mac told them, a short while later.

Mattie carried Mandy over and set her in her high chair, while Harm did the same with Chris.

Once everyone was served and had started eating, and Harm was feeding Chris his baby food in between bites of his own food, Harm and Mac broached the subject of what they wanted to do for their vacation with Mattie.

"Mattie," Harm said, "we've been talking about what sorts of things we'd like to do for our vacation this summer, and wonder if there's anything in particular that you really want to do?"

"In the U.S., or abroad?" Mattie asked.

"Either," Mac told her.

"Hmm," Mattie mumbled thoughtfully, as she chewed on a carrot stick. "I can't think of anything off the top of my head. I'd like to learn to scuba dive, and I really want to learn to sky dive, but other than that, I can't think of anything."

"Well, you can learn to do both of those things just as easily if we leave the States, as you can here," Harm said, smiling.

"Have you considered a yacht? We could sail along the coast around the Florida panhandle to the Gulf of Mexico, and then sail along the coast of Mexico to South America. Then we could spend a week or so in Rio, and then catch a flight to Europe and do a tour over there," Mattie said. "We can go as fast, or as slow, as we want, and we can do whatever we feel like wherever we stop."

Harm and Mac looked at each other in surprise, realizing as they shared a look that they loved the idea.

"That's brilliant," Mac said to Mattie. "I love that idea."

Mattie smiled, and then sighed wistfully.

"What's wrong?" Harm asked, concerned.

"Just the thought of leaving Troy for the whole summer kind of bums me out," she replied. "And you know we're going to have to have Chloe along for at least part of the trip, or she'll be crushed. She's family, too."

Harm and Mac smiled at their daughter, nodding in agreement.

"We'll work something out with Troy's family, so you two can spend at least part of the summer together," Harm promised. "As for Chloe, we'll make sure she gets to come along, too. You're right; she's family."

Mac smiled at Harm, her eyes telling him how much his words meant to her.

Soon they'd finished eating and cleaning up, so they put the little ones down for a nap and then Harm and Mac sat down with Mattie in the office and got on the internet to start planning their summer vacation.

Mattie took a yellow legal pad and jotted down notes, interjecting comments and/or ideas as they went, as they came up with a tentative plan.

"Mattie," Harm said finally. "It'd be better if you didn't tell anyone what our plans are for the summer… well, Troy would be okay, but only in person, and ask him not to tell anyone, either."

Mattie's eyes narrowed. "That gas leak wasn't an accident, was it?"

Harm looked surprised, but then nodded slowly. "How did you figure that out?"

"You and Mom have been walking on eggshells for a couple of days, and you both checked this house out top to bottom before you let me and the babies out of the car," she told them. "I figured something must be up."

"We don't know who's behind it, so we have to be extremely careful about who we tell our plans to, and not giving them the upper hand," Mac said.

Mattie nodded in understanding, and then frowned slightly. "Would it be better if you guys left for vacation early? I could stay with Grampa AJ, or Bud and Harriet, and join you when school lets out."

Harm and Mac looked at each other, again amazed at her insight.

"Only as a last resort," Harm promised. "We want to take our vacation as a family, from the very beginning."

Mattie smiled, warmed again that her adopted parents treated her no different than they would if she were their biological child. "I love you guys," she said, hugging them both.

"We love you, too," Mac smiled.

"Okay, then," Mattie said, looking at the legal pad. "I vote we buy a boat."

Mac smiled at Harm, raising both eyebrows. "Me, too."

Harm groaned good-naturedly, but smiled. "I'll start looking, then."

Mattie grinned. She could hardly wait for Summer vacation to start.


	84. Chapter 84

A/N: As always, THANK YOU!!! to all who take the time to review. It keeps me motivated, and really makes my day! I may not get to do 100 chapters like I had hoped. Real life has fallen apart, and I am currently in the process of trying to get into an in-patient treatment facility for depression/anxiety issues. I want to try to finish this before I go in, as I will probably be in for about a year. If I suddenly stop posting, please understand that is why. Otherwise, Enjoy...

**12:42 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**2 Weeks Later**

After the incident with the gas line, Harm had hired a company to install a state of the art security system, including cameras outdoors and in some areas of the house.

They didn't think that Brumby could be behind it, since he was now sitting in a prison cell in Australia. All of his assets had been frozen, and he had been dishonorably discharged from the Royal Australian Navy.

"That doesn't mean that he can't be behind it," Mac reminded both Harm and AJ, as she cleared away the dishes from lunch.

"My money is still on Palmer," Harm said, shaking his head. "He has the ability, the resources, and it is just something that he would do. Just having us all killed would be too easy for him. He'd want it to look like an accident."

Mac winced and nodded. "We have a double birthday party to throw in two weeks," she reminded him. "How are we going to handle this?"

"I think we're going to need to do it ourselves," Harm told her. "I'm not comfortable with hiring a caterer, or anyone else. If it is Palmer, it would be too easy for him to get someone on the inside."

Mac rubbed her forehead tiredly and nodded. "Well, my mother will be here next week, and both Lily and Harriet have offered to help, so I think we could pull it off."

"I'll help, too, honey," Harm told her, standing and hugging her. "Headache?"

Mac nodded. "We need to get busy planning this party. At least we've got our vacation plans more or less laid out, now."

"We'll give you our itinerary AJ," Harm told him. "But we're keeping it pretty secret."

"Good idea," AJ said, nodding. "You let me know if you need any help with anything. Mac, how is your mom getting her things here?"

"I think she's planning on hiring a moving company to bring the things she wants here, and then she's going to fly out," Mac told him. "She wanted to rent a U-Haul and drive out, but it's a week's drive across country and I don't feel comfortable with her doing that alone."

"I could go and drive back with her, if she really has her heart set on it," AJ said.

Mac smiled, shaking her head. "I'll let you know, but I think we've already agreed that she's going to fly and let the movers bring her stuff."

AJ nodded, just as Chris started to cry upstairs. "I'll get him, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Mac said. "Just remember that he needs his diaper changed."

"I know, I know," AJ grinned, heading up the stairs.

"Mandy will be right behind him," Mac said, swallowing the two ibuprofen tablets she'd just gotten from the kitchen cupboard with a sip from her bottle of water.

"I'll take care of her," Harm said, kissing her tenderly. "Why don't you go lie down, or do whatever you need to do to help you get rid of that headache? AJ and I will handle the kids for awhile."

"Are you sure?" Mac asked, looking up into his eyes.

"Mac, you've been going since you got up with the little ones at dawn, including washing all the windows and dusting the entire house," Harm reminded her. "You deserve a little time to yourself for awhile. AJ and I can handle Chris and Mandy for a couple of hours."

Mac smiled and kissed him tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, giving her a grin. "Now go take a bath, or a nap, or something."

"Daddy!" Mandy called from the top of the stairs, hindered by the baby gate.

Harm chuckled. "Coming, princess!"

They climbed to the top of the stairs arm in arm, and then Harm lifted Mandy over the baby gate, while Mac stepped over it and turned to kiss Mandy.

"Be a good girl for Daddy and Grampa," she told Mandy.

"Mommy bye-bye?" Mandy asked.

"Mommy is going to take a bath," Mac told her, smiling. "And maybe a nap, too."

"Okay," Mandy said, smiling at her mother. "Daddy pay?"

"Yeah, we'll go play," Harm told her, kissing her cheek before he turned to head downstairs.

Mac closed the blinds in the bathroom and lit a few candles, while the tub filled with warm water and lavender scented bubbles. Stripping down, she climbed into the tub and settled in, closing her eyes with a contented sigh.

**13:17 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

AJ carried Chris down the stairs and set him on the floor in the family room, before taking a seat in a nearby chair to watch Harm and Mandy playing with some blocks.

Chris grinned and crawled towards where his sister was trying to stack several blocks on top of one another. When he reached for one of the blocks, the whole tower came crashing down and Mandy, who was furious, hit her brother square in the face.

"Cis, no! Bad!" she yelled, over the top of her brother's wailing.

"Miranda Joy Rabb," Harm said sternly. "You do not hit your brother! Time out. Now."

"Cis bad!" she pouted, pointing to her blocks, now scattered all over the floor.

"Hitting is bad," Harm told her. "Time out." He pointed towards the time out corner, and watched as Miranda moved over to sit down, now crying hysterically herself. Sighing, Harm picked up Chris and checked him over. "You're fine, big guy," he said, soothing the screaming child until he settled down.

Mandy's cries turned to whimpers, and she covered her face with her hands.

Harm waited two full minutes, then called Mandy over to him. "Tell Chris you're sorry for hitting him," he instructed.

"Sowwy," Mandy said to Chris, kissing his cheek. "Sowwy, Cis."

Chris smiled at his sister, still chewing on one of the blocks he'd picked up.

"Good girl," Harm told her. "Give Daddy a kiss, too."

Mandy obliged, and hugged him around the neck. "Sowwy, Daddy."

"I know," Harm said. "Can you play nice, now?"

Mandy nodded, going over to the toy box to pull out her doll and started playing quietly with it in the corner.

"Never a dull moment, huh?" AJ asked, smiling at Harm.

"Not around here," Harm grinned.

The alarm suddenly went off, and Mac's startled cry echoed down the stairs, followed by a loud crash.

"Watch the kids!" Harm shouted, grabbing his gun from the top of the cabinet near the stairs and releasing the safety, as he hurried up the stairs.

Another crash, followed by a startled male cry, and then silence followed.

"Mac!" Harm yelled, flinging the bedroom door open. He stopped when he saw his wife on her knees, one of which was planted in the back of a man dressed in black.

She had his arm wrenched behind his back, and her gun pointed at his head.

"You okay?" Harm asked, as she looked up at him, still holding the man down.

"Fine," she said. "Police are on their way, I assume?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding as he shut off the alarm and moved back to block the way to the bedroom door. "What happened? Who is this guy?"

"I don't know, but he's going to tell us, or he's going to regret it," Mac said, wrenching the guy's arm further and causing him to cry out in pain. "Start talking!"

"Who are you?" Harm asked, moving closer and keeping his gun trained on the intruder.

"William Phelps," he ground out. "You're hurting me, lady!"

"I'm going to do more than that, if you don't stop struggling and answer my husband's questions," Mac warned.

They could hear the sirens approaching, and Harm looked to Mac. "My wife is going to let you up, but you do it nice and slow. We're both armed, and we won't hesitate to blow your brains out, if you so much as sneeze wrong."

"Yeah, got it," the man groaned. "Let me up!"

Mac slowly moved away from the guy, keeping her gun trained on him the whole time, as she moved to stand beside Harm.

Phelps stood slowly, keeping his hands in the air and looking up at first Harm, and then Mac. "Who are you people?"

"Never mind," Harm said, shaking his head. "Who hired you? Are you the one that tampered with the gas lines?"

"Yeah, I was," he said, glaring at Mac. "I was hired by some guy I met while I was serving out my eighteen months in Leavenworth. He said he'd pay me more than enough to make up for getting booted from the Navy, if I'd do something for him. Said he wanted it to look like an accident."

"You threatened my children for money?" Mac asked, furiously. "I should kill you now."

"Wait! You two have kids?" he asked, incredulous. "He just said it was you two… said that you were both hotshot JAG lawyers that put a bunch of guys, including him, away, and that he wanted you two taken out. He never said nothing about kids."

"Police! Everybody freeze!" a voice said, as two officers entered the bedroom with guns drawn. "What's going on here?"

"I'm Admiral Harmon Rabb, and this is my wife, Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie-Rabb," Harm told him. "Both retired. This man broke into our house and threatened us… my wife took him down, and we've been holding him until you got here."

"All right, folks," the officer said, moving in to stand behind Harm and Mac. "Lower your weapons slowly and let us take over."

Harm and Mac did as instructed, both setting their weapons on the bed and backing away from Phelps with their hands raised.

The officer that hadn't yet spoken moved forward quickly, cuffing Phelps and pushing him towards the door.

"Who hired you?" Harm growled, as they reached the living room.

"Name was Palmer," he said, shaking his head. "What kind of deal can I get if I cooperate?"

"That's not up to me," Harm said, shaking his head. "But if you cooperate, I'll see what can be done. Are you working alone?"

"Just me," he confirmed. "Palmer said it was too risky to involve anyone else just yet."

Harm nodded, as the officer led Phelps out of the house to the waiting police cruiser.

"I'm Officer Lang," the first cop introduced himself. "I need to get your statements."

**14:02 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

"Just a minute, please," Mac said, rushing into the family room where AJ had both children sitting with him behind the sofa.

AJ stood and nodded to the police officer when Harm introduced them, watching as Mac kneeled on the floor by the children.

Mandy was happily playing with her doll, while Chris was chewing on a teething ring, both blissfully unaware that there was anything wrong.

Mac hugged first Mandy, and then Chris, assuring herself that they were fine, before standing and hugging AJ tightly. "Thank you, Dad," she whispered, shaking slightly. "Thank you for keeping them safe."

AJ caressed the back of her head and nodded. "Always," he promised. "As long as I can."

The officer smiled at them as Mac released AJ and wiped at her eyes, nodding that she was ready.

"Do you mind keeping an eye on them for a bit longer?" Harm asked AJ.

"Not at all," he replied. "Take care of business, and we'll be fine right here."

"Thank you," Mac said, as she followed Harm and Officer Lang towards the front door where they joined the other officer who was making notes on a clipboard, Phelps secured in the backseat of the cruiser.

"This is Officer Chadwick," Officer Lang introduced them.

"Sir, ma'am," he nodded to them, shaking their hands. "Want to tell us what happened here?"

Harm nodded to Mac.

"I had just finished my bath and gotten dressed, and had opened the balcony doors to let in some fresh air. I sat down at the vanity to brush my hair, when a movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention," Mac told them. "Before I had time to react, Phelps had his arm around my throat and was choking me."

"What?" Harm exclaimed. "Are you hurt? Let me see!" He moved to Mac to check the red marks on her neck, his eyes darkening with fury.

"I'm okay," she assured him. "Really. Just a little sore."

"Ma'am, we'll want you to go get checked out, but please, go on," Officer Lang said, gently.

"I pretended to pass out, and when he loosened his grip, I dropped him as hard as I could into the vanity," Mac continued. "I rushed over and hit the panic button on the security pad by the balcony doors, and turned around in time to see him coming at me again. I kicked him pretty hard in the abdomen, which sent him backwards… I think he hit his head on the bed, since he was stunned for a minute. I grabbed my gun from its hiding spot behind the armoire, grabbed his arm, and pinned him to the ground with the gun to his head. I warned him not to move, just as my husband burst through the bedroom door."

Harm nodded and sighed, pulling her to him carefully for a gentle hug and kissing her temple. "I was scared half to death, Marine."

Mac hugged him back, nodding.

"Okay, sir, your turn," Officer Chadwick said.

Harm recounted his side of the story, kissing the top of Mac's head again when he was finished.

"I'll need the two of you to come down and file statements," Officer Lang told them. "The sooner the better. And ma'am, you need to go get your neck looked at, just to be on the safe side."

"Give us time to make arrangements for our children, and we'll be right down," Harm promised.

Both officers nodded to them, before climbing into the cruiser and driving off.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harm asked, ignoring the crowd of neighbors that had gathered nearby. "He could have killed you."

"I'm fine," Mac assured him, kissing him tenderly. "Let's go take care of the kids, and then we can head to the station. I just want this to be all over with."

Harm nodded in agreement and they turned and headed back into the house, his arm still wrapped around her waist.

They made sure that AJ could stay with the children, reminding him that Mattie was due home shortly, before getting ready and heading towards the local police station.

After giving and signing their statements, Harm took Mac to the emergency room to be looked at, where they took photos of her injuries and also took x-rays to make sure everything really was okay.

AJ had called to tell them that he and Mattie had fed both of the children, and were getting ready to give them their baths and put them to bed.

Stopping on the way home for dinner, neither spoke much as they contemplated the day's events, both processing it in their own way.

By the time they got home at 21:22, they were both completely exhausted, but relieved that their family was out of danger for the time being.

They thanked AJ for all of his help, checked on the two youngest Rabbs, and talked to Mattie and assured her that everything was fine now.

Mac went to go nurse Chris, Harm recognizing that it was something that she needed, so he kissed her tenderly and then went to their room, where he took a shower and went through his usual bedtime routine, before settling into the bed with a book to read.

Mac came in a short while later, going in to take a bath and do her own bedtime ritual, before coming back into their bedroom and standing beside the bed. She was grateful to Mattie and AJ for cleaning up the mess from earlier, as she slipped off her robe and climbed into bed beside her husband.

Harm glanced up when she slipped off her robe, turning his full attention to her when he noted that she was completely naked, as she slipped into bed beside him and snuggled up to him. Setting his book aside, he scooted down so that he could lay facing her, wrapping his arms around her. "You okay?"

Mac nodded, before kissing him deeply. Pulling back so that she could look into his eyes. "I need you," she said softly, her mouth claiming his again.

Harm pulled away for just a moment, kissing her forehead. "I love you," he whispered, before his mouth covered hers once again.


	85. Chapter 85

Well, at long last I'm back! I'm going to do my best to update regularly, but I'm looking for a job and trying to settle back in to 'real life' after being in the Los Angeles Dream Center's Discipleship program for the last two plus years. Thanks for all the well wishes and the encouragement, as well as continued interest in this tale. You're all amazing!

**12:07 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Two Weeks Later**

"How many hot dogs am I cooking?" Harm bellowed from his place at the BBQ grill, wearing a black apron with 'Kiss the Cook' and a giant pair of lips in bright red; a gift from Mac and the kids for Father's Day last year.

"All of them," Mac yelled in his direction as she set the giant bowl of potato salad on the table they'd set up to be the buffet. Standing, she scanned the yard full of people for her children, smiling when she caught sight of them playing happily with the rest of the children in the wading pool they'd set up under the watchful eyes of several adults.

Harm moved the hamburgers and chicken up to the top rack of the grill to keep warm as he put the hot dogs on the lower burners and turned the corn-on-the-cob. Closing the lid, he then took a long drink of his beer and turned his attention back to the conversation between his father-in-law, Bud and Sturgis.

"Sounds to me like you're going to have to try to convince him to plead out," AJ was saying. "If you allow it to go to trial he's going to get a much more severe punishment when sentencing rolls around."

"Yes sir," Bud said with a sigh. "The trouble is he won't listen to me."

"Who's the prosecution?" Sturgis asked.

"Lt. Dell sir," Bud sighed. "She's going to crucify him."

"Who's Lt. Dell?" Harm asked.

"Lt. Marilee Dell," Bud answered. "She's a recent transfer from San Diego and she's a pit-bull. She reminds me of Loren Singer but without the snarky attitude."

Harm nodded, turning to check on the food. He'd tried very hard to forget about Lt. Loren Singer and how he'd once been charged for her murder.

"Would you like me to talk to him for you?" Sturgis asked Bud. "Maybe getting a second opinion will make him see the light."

"It's worth a try sir," Bud said, sighing. "I just don't want to see him spend twenty years in prison for making a dumb mistake."

"Hand me that serving platter will you, Sturgis?" Harm asked as he used the spatula to begin lifting the burgers off the top rack of the grill.

"Brother," Sergei said, coming to stand near the grill. "Mac told me to tell you that she wants you to make sure that her burger is not burnt to a crisp like the others."

Harm looked at his younger brother and rolled his eyes. "Tell Mac~" he stopped and sighed when he saw the amused looks the other men were giving him. "Tell Mac that I'll make sure hers is still mooing," he smiled.

Sergei frowned at this but nodded and moved away.

"Wise choice," AJ grinned.

"Yeah well, my wife _invited_ me to find out just how comfortable one of our guest rooms was last week after I told her one of her vacation ideas was silly and since our guest rooms are currently full, I have no desire to sleep on the couch," Harm told them, placing all of the meat from the grill onto the serving platter. "Why do they ask the question if they don't want an honest answer?"

AJ, Bud and Sturgis laughed at this, raising their beers in toast as Harm handed the serving platter off to Frank who had come over to help.

"That's one of the mysteries of the universe son," Frank smiled at him, before turning to carry the platter full of food over to the buffet table.

Harm grabbed the other serving platter and began placing corn on the cob onto it and then turned off the grill and closed the lid before carrying it over to the buffet table and setting it down.

Mac turned and put her arm around his waist, giving him a small kiss. "Lunch is served!" she called out to their assembled family and guests.

"I'll help you get the kids dried off so they can eat," Harm told her as they made their way towards the wading pool.

"Thank you," Mac smiled at him, lifting Mandy from the small pool.

"Manny swim!" Mandy yelled, angry at being removed from the pool.

"After lunch," Harm told her. "It's time to eat." He carried her away from the pool and dried her off, pulling her sundress over her head before sitting her in her high chair.

"No! No! No!" Chris cried as Mac lifted him out of the wading pool and wrapped him in a towel, following Harm and Mandy.

"Yes," Mac told him, giving him a stern look. "It's time to eat lunch. You can go back in the pool after you eat something." As soon as she had him dried off and had put a t-shirt on him, she set him in his high chair.

Harm helped Mac get the kids their food before he got Mac a burger and placed it on a bun. He carried it over and set it on her plate, kissing her cheek before he grabbed a plate and dished his own food.

As soon as everyone was settled Harm and Mac sat down and began to eat their own lunch, laughing and talking with their guests.

**14:12 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm and Mac each held a child in their lap as they sat beside each other on a blanket on the grass, surrounded by friends and family.

Mattie and Chloe handed out the birthday presents while Frank manned the video camera and Lily handled the digital still camera.

"You know this dual birthday party will only be acceptable for a couple of years, don't you?" Mac asked Harm as they watched Mandy tear open the wrapping on her gift.

"That's okay," Harm smiled. "For now just doing one party in between their two birthday's works. When they get older we can do Chris' on his birthday and Mandy's on hers. There's just over a month between the two so that works out."

Mac returned his smile and nodded, watching as Chris figured out what he was supposed to do by watching Mandy and began tearing open his own present.

Half an hour later all of the presents were opened and it was time for cake and ice cream.

Harm carried Chris and set him in his high chair, placing the individual birthday cake for him in front of him and holding his hands to keep him from grabbing the cake.

Mac handed Mandy off to her mother so that she could kneel on the other side of Chris' high chair while everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to him, then she and Harm helped him to blow out his candle.

As soon as Mac removed the candle from the small cake, Harm released Chris' hands and the little boy grabbed the large blue teddy bear in the center and smeared frosting all over his face as he stuck his small fist into his mouth and giggled loudly.

As they had done the year before with Mandy, Harm and Mac looked over their son's head and grinned happily at each other.

Harm stood and picked up Mandy carrying her over to where the larger cake was, with Mac following them. Harm stood Mandy on a chair, holding onto her to keep her from falling, while Mac lit the two candles and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to the giggling toddler. As soon as she'd blown out the candles with her parents' coaching, Mac took the candles out of the cake and began serving it while Harm set Mandy in her high chair next to Chris.

Mac handed Harm a plate with a piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream to give to Mandy and everyone watched as the toddler happily dug in, smearing frosting all over her face and laughing excitedly.

As soon as everyone had been served cake and ice cream, Mac took her seat beside Harm at the long table and accepted the bite of cake he offered her from his fork before leaning forward to kiss him tenderly.

"So have you two firmed up vacation plans for the summer?" Frank asked smiling at them. It was very obvious to everyone around that they were very much in love.

"Mmm we have," Mac nodded, setting her cup of iced tea down and taking a bite of her ice cream. "We've bought a sailing yacht and we're going to sail along the coast and then _maybe_ down the Mexican coast along the Gulf into Rio. At least those are the plans for the moment. We may change them since we'd like to go to Europe for at least part of the summer."

"What size yacht did you buy?" Frank asked Harm.

"A fifty-two footer," Harm answered, smiling. "It's a gorgeous Irwin Ketch Cruiser. There are four large cabins and two bathrooms; one with a shower and the other with a tub/shower combo. Then there's the master suite cabin with a king sized bed and an ensuite bath that has a bathtub, separate shower, sink and toilet. It has a good sized galley and a saloon big enough for all of us to sit below decks and hang out if the weather gets bad, complete with a fifty-two inch flat screen television, DVD player and satellite service."

"That is nice," Frank agreed, smiling.

"Are you going to sail it yourself?" AJ asked curiously.

"Well it has a motor, so until I teach Mac, Mattie, Chloe and the boys how to sail, we'll probably just use that," Harm replied. "Once I have some help it will be easier to sail."

"You're taking the boys as well as Chloe?" Trish asked, surprised.

Mac and Harm smiled at one another before nodding.

"We talked to their parents and got their permission to bring them along with us," Harm told her. "They'll be joining us for the first six weeks and then the boys and Chloe will fly home for the last six weeks. Troy's family has a vacation planned for the end of summer, and Tim and Annie are taking Josh and their new baby girl, Ashley, to see Tim's family for a couple of weeks in July."

"Sounds like things are falling into place, then," AJ smiled.

"They are," Mac agreed. "Mattie, Josh and Troy get out of school a week from Wednesday and we'll be leaving the following Monday. Since Chloe's school got out on Friday, she's going to just stay here with us until we're ready to leave. You're still planning to join us for part of the summer aren't you, Dad?"

"Wouldn't miss it," AJ told her, nodding.

"Dad, would you and AJ like to come see the yacht with me, Bud and Sturgis tomorrow?" Harm asked Frank and AJ. "I'm going up to make sure the remodeling is finished so I can give the okay to the people stocking it for us."

Frank and AJ happily agreed and then Mac stood to begin cleaning up her messy children.

"Manny swim!" Mandy said as soon as Mac lifted her from the high chair.

"Only if someone will watch you," Mac told her. "You don't go into the pool unless a grown-up is there with you, okay?"

"Okay!" Mandy nodded, running over to Deanne. "Manny swim! Peeease?"

Deanne laughed, winking at Mac before nodding. "Okay; I'll go watch you swim."

"Yay!" Mandy laughed, pulling her sundress over her head and dropping it on the grass before running over to the wading pool.

"Thanks Mom," Mac smiled, hugging her mother.

"No problem," Deanne told her, making her way over to sit in a chair near the wading pool.

Chris crawled over the minute he was on the ground and climbed into the wading pool, t-shirt, diaper and all.

"Chris!" Harm exclaimed, shaking his head and sighing. Deciding that it wasn't worth getting upset over, he began helping his wife to clean up.


	86. Chapter 86

**11:36 EST**

**2nd St. Marina**

**Annapolis, MD**

**Next Day**

AJ whistled when he saw the boat that Harm led them to, smiling in appreciation. "That," he said to the others, nodding towards the yacht, "is a true thing of beauty."

Frank chuckled and nodded his agreement. "Absolutely."

Harm grinned broadly and hopped aboard, waiting for the others to join him before unlocking the cabin and stepping inside. "Feel free to look around," he told them as he disappeared below decks.

Bud sat in the Captain's chair in the enclosed cockpit and reverently ran his hand along the steering wheel, smiling appreciatively. "I can't believe Harm and Mac _own_ this!"

"One of the perks of having money," Sturgis grinned as he checked out the rest of the cockpit.

"Seriously guys," Harm said as he came back topside, "You're welcome to borrow it anytime we're not using it."

"You'd trust us to borrow it?" Bud asked with wide eyes.

"First of all, of course I would trust you to borrow it," Harm grinned. "Second of all, it's well insured. Now I'd certainly be disappointed if something happened to it, but it's only a boat… I'd be more worried about you guys if something happened."

Sturgis clapped him on the back and nodded in approval. "I'm glad to see that suddenly becoming wealthy hasn't changed you or Mac any. That wouldn't be true of a lot of people, I'm afraid."

"Thanks Sturgis," Harm smiled. He made some notes on the pad of paper he'd brought with him while the others continued to check out the large vessel.

"What kind of motor you got in this thing?" AJ asked him.

"Ninety horsepower inboard," Harm told him. "Not too bad."

They moved below deck and toured the rest of the ship before settling themselves in the saloon area and checking out the large television.

"You're really going to live on this thing for twelve weeks with two toddlers and four teenagers?" Sturgis asked, amazed.

"Hell no!" Harm laughed. "We'll be staying in hotels whenever we set in port. We've even rented a four bedroom house in Florida for a week so we can take the kids to Disney World."

"Wise man," Frank smiled. "These cramped quarters can feel mighty close after awhile."

Harm nodded his agreement. "We're planning on sticking pretty close to shore in case we need to make port in a hurry. With six kids _anything _can happen."

"No kidding," Bud chuckled. "It sometimes amazes me what our four manage to get themselves into."

"You and Harriet planning on having any more? AJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I suggested it to Harriet a couple of months ago," Bud said and then grimaced. "She looked at me like I had lost my mind and then she told me she wants me to uh… take permanent measures to prevent it from happening again."

"Are you going to do it?" Sturgis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"More than likely," he sighed. "Happy wife, happy life, right?"

Sturgis and the others chuckled softly and nodded in agreement.

"What about you Sturgis?" Harm asked his old friend. "Think you'll ever join the ranks of husband and father?"

"Now you sound like my old man," Sturgis groaned good naturedly. "Okay. I will tell you that I'm giving it serious consideration; especially now that Keeter has decided to take the plunge. Now there's a man I never thought for a minute would get married."

Harm smiled warmly and nodded his head slowly. "I hear you there. Lily has been really good for him. In fact, he's left the 'Company' and Mattie and I have hired him on to manage Grace Aviation. When we get back from our vacation we're planning to spend some time helping him and see where we want to go from there."

"You moved the company from Blacksburg to Centreville, didn't you?" Frank asked.

"Yeah," Harm replied with a nod. "We talked about moving it to Manassas but since we also changed what services are offered, Centreville made more sense. It's also closer to Dulles, which is going to make a big difference, I think."

"Did you move your own planes out there, too?" Sturgis asked.

"That was the first thing we did after we bought the hangar and office space," Harm said. "Mattie and I flew 'Sarah' down from Blacksburg and then the following weekend we went to Orange County and flew the Cessna over. We also invested in two planes for the business and Keeter is supposed to look into hiring at least one more pilot and a mechanic."

"Sounds like a good plan," AJ said with a nod of approval. "With Deanne moving into your house for the summer, it sounds like everything is coming together nicely."

"Which is making my wife very happy," Harm said with a smile. "Now, who wants to watch the game? I ordered pizza and we have plenty of beer to tide us over for a few hours and I really want to see how the satellite service works."

**08:00 EST**

**2nd St. Marina**

**Annapolis, MD**

**4 Weeks later**

Harm looked at his wife and then over at Mattie and Chloe who were holding Mandy and Chris, respectively. "Do we have everything?"

"We do," she said, smiling. She stood at attention and saluted him. "The ship is ready to get underway Admiral, _sir_!"

Harm gave her a mock glare and then grinned at her. "Cute Marine," he said, shaking his head. He went into the cockpit and started the engine, waiting for Mac's signal that the lines were free from the moorings. As soon as he got the thumbs up, he carefully maneuvered them out of the marina and out into the Chesapeake Bay.

Mac and the kids all stood on the deck and waved goodbye to AJ and Deanne, who were driving the Rabbs' vehicles back to Clifton. Once they were out of the marina and they could no longer see them, Mac told the kids to make themselves comfortable, as they had a long stretch in the Bay until they reached the open water of the Atlantic Ocean.

Troy and Josh joined Harm in the cockpit, both anxious to learn everything about sailing they could. Mattie and Chloe found seats on the deck where they could enjoy the sun and the fresh air while Mac sat nearby watching Mandy and Chris play with the toys she'd brought topside for them.

By the time lunch time rolled around, Harm had taught all four teenagers how to steer the boat and what warning signs to watch for in case they needed to call him or Mac for help. He found a good place for them to drop anchor and they all sat down at the table in the galley to eat.

When lunch was over and the two youngest Rabb's were napping in their room, Mac grabbed the baby monitor and joined the rest of the family on the deck.

Five minutes after the engines started and they began moving down the Bay again, Mac heard Mandy calling for her over the baby monitor. Before she could get to the toddler to quiet her, Chris was wide awake and crying for her attention as well. Despite her best efforts Mac was unable to get the children back to sleep and she knew they would be cranky and exhausted by the time they dropped anchor for the night around dinner time.

When she came back up with both of the babies, Harm frowned in concern and asked Mattie to take over the controls for a minute.

"What's up?" he asked, taking Chris from her.

"They both woke up and refuse to go back to sleep," Mac replied. "I think the noise of the engine and the unfamiliar surroundings have them unsettled. Hopefully they'll adjust in a couple of days and this won't be a problem anymore."  
Harm nodded in agreement, kissing his son's cheek. "Come on little man, you can help Daddy steer the ship for a bit." He looked at Mandy who was clinging to Mac and whimpering pathetically. "Unless you'd rather I take Mandy for a bit?" he asked his wife.

"No," Mac said with a small smile. "I'll hang on to her for a little while and see if I can't get her to calm down. But I may decide to come and trade with you in a bit."

"Anything you need," Harm told her, kissing her tenderly before he took Chris with him into the cockpit.

"Mama, Manny go home," Mandy said with a sniffle.

"We're on vacation," Mac told her gently. "It's fun."

Mandy frowned at her mother and wrapped her arms around her neck, whimpering softly. "Go home."

Mac grimaced and tried to distract the toddler, but it was no use. An hour later, Mandy was no closer to settling down and had begun trying to push Mac's shirt up so she could nurse. Mac became really concerned at that point because Mandy hadn't nursed at all in nearly three months, and had only been nursing about once a week for the six or so months prior to that. Deciding that if it meant giving Mandy the reassurance she needed, so be it, she asked Harm to bring Chris down to the saloon in thirty minutes and she made her way to the large sofa below deck. Tossing a blanket over them for privacy, she allowed Mandy to nurse until she fell asleep.

When Harm brought Chris down thirty minutes later, he was surprised that Mac had allowed Mandy to nurse, but didn't comment. Sitting his son on the sofa beside his mother, he then took Mandy from her and carefully carried her to her room, placing her in the small bed. Returning to the saloon, he found Mac was now nursing Chris and he sat beside her for a moment to talk to her for a few minutes before he went back up to the deck and took over in the cockpit once more.


	87. Chapter 87

**14:45 EST**

**Rabb Rental Home**

**Orlando, FL**

**2 Weeks later**

Mac placed a sleeping Miranda on the bed in the room designated for her and Chris before setting up the portable crib that Harm had brought in. She'd just finished getting it ready when Harm brought in Chris, who was also asleep, and laid him in the crib.

As soon as the rental van was unloaded, Mac flopped wearily onto the bed in the master suite and closed her eyes.

They had made anchorage in Cocoa Beach and while Harm secured the yacht, Mac and the others had loaded their things into the waiting rental van. Then they had driven the hour to Orlando and the house that would be theirs for the next week (more, if Mac had a say in the matter).

The babies still had not adjusted to life at sea and had, in fact, become increasingly cranky and more difficult as the trip had gone on. Mac had reached a point where she wasn't even enjoying their 'vacation', since she was taking on the majority of their care on her own, trying not to ruin the trip for Harm or the four teenagers they had traveling with them. She was seriously considering just having Harm fly her and the two little ones home and allowing him and the others to finish out the vacation without them.

Harm walked into the master suite and quietly closed the door, looking at his exhausted wife in concern. He knew she had been trying her hardest to take care of the babies herself so that the rest of them could enjoy their vacation, despite his attempts to help her whenever he could. Even on the nights when they made port and stayed in a hotel, Mac still insisted on being the one who would get up in the middle of the night with their cranky children. He was also concerned that both Mandy and Chris were once again nursing two or three times a day.

Making his way to the bed, he carefully sat down beside Mac and began rubbing his hand along her back. "Would you like me to draw you a bath?" he asked her quietly. "You can relax for a bit and then take a nap."

"What if the kids wake up?" Mac asked tiredly, shaking her head.

"Mac, let me and the older kids take care of them today," he said. "You've been exhausting yourself since the trip started. We can handle them for a few hours while you relax and get some sleep."

Mac scrubbed a hand over her face and yawned. "I think I'll just take a nap and skip the bath," she told him. "I'm so tired I'd probably fall asleep in the tub and drown."

Harm grimaced slightly and sighed before he began to carefully undress his wife. Grabbing one of his clean t-shirts from his suitcase, he pulled it over her head and helped her crawl under the covers before kissing her tenderly. "Sleep for as long as you need," he told her. Kissing her forehead, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him to inform the teenagers of the game plan for the rest of the day.

"Mac's not really enjoying our vacation, is she?" Chloe asked. "Why are Chris and Mandy so upset all the time?"

Harm shrugged. "They're little and don't understand what's happening," he told her. "All they know is that their normal routine has been disrupted and they're in unfamiliar surroundings."

"We've been on vacation for weeks," Mattie said. "They should have adjusted by now, shouldn't they?"

Harm frowned slightly and wondered himself about the validity of that statement. "I don't know Mats," he said. "I'm going to run to the store, so I need the four of you to listen for Mandy and Chris. If they wake up before I return, try to find something to keep them happy until I get back. Do not wake up Mac unless there's a life or death emergency, got that?"

"Yes sir," the four teenagers said in unison.

"Thank you," Harm said, smiling at them. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

**17:30 EST**

**Rabb Rental Home**

**Orlando, FL**

Harm and Mattie placed Mandy and Chris into their high chairs and placed their plates in front of them before Mattie went to join Chloe, Josh and Troy in the family room where they were all going to watch a movie and have their pizza.

Harm sat down in his own chair and took a bite of the spinach tortellini with cream sauce that he'd made for the rest of them.

Mandy looked at Harm and frowned. "Where Mama, Daddy?"

"Mama is very tired so we are letting her sleep," Harm told her.

Mandy scowled at her father and threw her cup across the room. "Want Mama!" she cried.

Harm frowned at her and stood, moving her high chair to face the corner and taking her plate from the tray. "Time out Mandy," he told her. "You do not throw things and you do not talk to Daddy like that."

Mandy cried~ loudly~ and kicked her legs, pounding her fists on the tray of the high chair.

Chris looked at his sister with wide eyes and then at his father before he started to cry, too.

Harm rubbed his forehead before he stood and picked up Chris. "Hey little man, you're fine," he tried to soothe. "What's wrong, huh?"

Chris wrapped his arms around his daddy's neck and hugged him tightly, still whimpering. When he settled, Harm placed him back in the high chair and kissed his forehead. "Eat your dinner Big Guy," he said gently, before he went over to where Mandy had her forehead on the high chair tray and was whimpering. "Are you ready to eat your dinner now?" he asked the toddler.

Mandy looked up at him with watery eyes, her bottom lip protruding, and nodded.

Harm moved her high chair back into place and gave her plate back to her, kissing the top of her head. "I love you; eat your dinner."

Chris ate his food and got as much on him as in him as usual, and Mandy picked at her food and ate very slowly, still sniffling.

Harm ate his food quickly and placed his dishes in the kitchen sink before getting a warm, wet washcloth and wiping Chris down as much as possible before taking his plate and putting it in the kitchen sink too, and then rinsing the washcloth.

"Are you finished?" he asked Mandy, who was still barely picking at her food.

Mandy looked up at him and nodded her head, so Harm took the washcloth and wiped her hands and face before he took her plate in to the kitchen sink. Then he returned for the children and lifted them out of their high chairs, carrying Chris and holding Mandy's hand as he led them to the bathroom to start bath time.

He had just finished lifting Mandy out of the empty tub and was drying Chris off when Mac appeared in the doorway.

"How's it going in here?" she asked.

"Mama," Mandy cried, reaching her arms up to her mother.

Mac kneeled down and started drying her off. "How's Mama's girl?"

"She hardly touched her dinner," Harm said quietly. "Chris ate all right, though."

Mac bit her bottom lip in concern and nodded. "What's wrong with my girl?" she asked Mandy while she placed her on the towel she'd spread out and put on her diaper and pajamas.

"Go home," Mandy whimpered softly.

Mac sighed softly. "Sweetie, we're on vacation; we're not going home for a while."

Harm had finished getting Chris ready for bed so they took their children into the room designated for them and read them a story before settling them in for the night. After they kissed both of them goodnight, they went out and closed the door, bringing the baby monitor with them.

"I hope they like Disney World and settle down," Mac sighed.

Harm kissed her forehead. "So do I," he replied. "I'm going to go clean up the kitchen and check on the teenagers; your dinner is in the microwave if you're hungry."

"Starving," Mac laughed. "Thanks," she said as they made their way to the kitchen. Mac ate while Harm cleaned up and after she placed her dishes into the dishwasher and started it running, they joined the teenagers in the family room to play a game before it was time for bed.

They were all excited about their trip to Disney World the next day.


	88. Chapter 88

Thanks to everyone that has taken time to review, publicly or privately! I'm glad to be back! Hope you continue to enjoy my story...

**23:34 EST**

**Rabb Rental Home**

**Orlando, FL**

Harm and Mac placed their sleeping children into their beds and made their way to the master bedroom to prepare for bed. They had spent the entire day at Disney World and were planning to return in the morning.

"I'm glad the babies had fun," Mac said with a sigh. "It's the first time in weeks they've been happy for more than a few minutes of the day."

Harm nodded and pursed his lips. "I hate to disappoint the older kids, but after this week we might consider heading home. Mandy and Chris haven't seemed to be enjoying our vacation."

Mac pulled her nightgown over her head and frowned, nodding. "Why don't we see how they do after a week here and then we can decide? I know Mattie, Chloe, Troy and Josh were really looking forward to going to Mexico."

Harm wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her tenderly. "I know they were, but if the babies are making the trip miserable for you, then we may have to consider what's best for all of us. I don't want you to be miserable because the two little ones are unhappy."

Mac smiled at him and caressed his face. "Thanks; that means a lot to me. Like I said, let's just see how things go for the rest of this week and then we can make a decision."

"Okay," Harm conceded with a small nod.

"I'm going to go check to make sure everyone is settled and I'll be back," Mac told him as she pulled away from his embrace and put her robe on.

"All right," Harm said, nodding. "I'll see you in a couple of minutes."

Mac made her way down the hall and knocked lightly on the door to the room where Mattie and Chloe were staying.

Chloe opened the door and smiled at Mac. "What's up?"

"Are you two getting settled in okay?" Mac asked.

"Yep; we're all ready for bed and we're just about to turn off the light," she replied.

Mac moved into the room and waited for the teenagers to settle into bed before she leaned over and kissed each of them goodnight. "Try to go right to sleep; we're leaving early again tomorrow morning," she told them.  
"Okay," Mattie said. "Do you think Dad will let us go off on our own tomorrow for a while?"

"I'll talk to him and see," Mac told her. "Love you."

"Love you, too," the two girls chorused in unison.

Mac switched off the light and closed the door before peeking in on Mandy and Chris. Satisfied that they were both still sleeping soundly, she heaved a silent sigh of relief before making her way to the other end of the hall where Troy and Josh were staying. She knocked lightly on the door. "It's Mac," she called softly.

"Come in," Josh's voice called out.

Mac opened the door and found the boys already in their beds. Troy was on his laptop and Josh was reading a book. "Are you two doing all right?" She asked them.

"I'm good; thank you Mrs. Rabb," Troy said, smiling at her.

"Me too, ma'am," Josh replied.

"All right," Mac said, giving them both a smile. "Don't stay up too late; Harm wants to leave early again in the morning."

"Okay," Josh nodded.

"I'm almost ready to go to sleep," Troy added. "Good night."

"Good night," Josh said as well.

"Good night," Mac said before she closed the bedroom door and went back to the master bedroom.

"Everyone settled?" Harm asked as Mac closed their door. He raised an eyebrow when she locked it behind her.

"Yep," she said as she removed her bathrobe and then pulled her nightgown over her head and placed it on the chair nearest her side of the bed.

Harm raised his eyebrows as she climbed into bed and removed the book he had been reading from his hands, putting it on the night table before turning back to her husband with a smoldering look.

"Something I can do for you Mrs. Rabb?" He grinned at her as he wrapped his arms around her when she straddled his lap.

"Actually there is," she replied, leaning in to kiss him. "It's been over two weeks since we've made love and I'm missing my husband."

Harm ran his hand up and down her spine. "Glad to know you're still interested."

"Oh, I'll always be interested in you," Mac purred. "I can promise you that. You just keep getting better looking every year."

"Ditto, sweet thing," he said huskily as his lips made their way along the column of her neck.

Mac lightly smacked him, laughing. "You know I hate it when you call me that!"

Harm grinned at her unrepentantly and his mouth found hers again.

**13:22 EST**

**Disney World**

**Orlando, FL**

The family had just finished lunch when Harm looked at his watch and then at his wife, who nodded slightly and winked at him.

"Okay, you guys can take off on your own for a while," he told them. "I expect you to meet us by the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, just before the fireworks begin. If you need anything, call us on our cell phones. Oh, and keep yours on too, in case we need to reach you."

"Yes sir," the teens all said at once.

"We're probably going to try to do all the mountains," Mattie told him. "We're going to start with Splash Mountain and work our way around the park from there."

"We've already been on most of them," Harm said in confusion.

"Dad," Mattie said in that exasperated tone teenagers use when their parents just don't 'get' it. "We rode them with you guys; this time we're going to really have fun."

Harm looked at Mac who was smiling indulgently. "Do you understand that logic?"

She grinned and nodded. "Don't worry; I'll explain it to you later." She looked at the four teenagers and winked. "Have fun."

"Thanks!" They said as they threw away their trash from lunch, grabbed their backpacks and took off towards Frontierland.

Harm took a baby wipe from the diaper bag and began to clean up Chris. "Want to explain that to me?"

"When they do the rides with us, they have fun but they may not do some things they will without us. Plus it's hard when two of them stay back to watch the babies, or help watch the babies, so that one or both of us can go on the rides the little ones can't. It's much more fun when they can just relax and have fun and be teenagers. Plus the boys wouldn't dare try to kiss them or put their arms around them while either one of us is around."

Harm scowled a bit at this. "I don't know that I like the sound of that."

Mac chuckled. "Didn't you ever take a girl to Disneyland without your parents when you were a teenager?"

Harm got a slightly panicked look as his head whipped around in the direction the teenagers had just gone. "Yes I did."

Mac had stood and she gently placed a palm on his cheek and turned him back to face her. "Honey, they'll be fine. Let's take the babies on the Jungle Cruise; they'll love it!"

Harm sighed and gave her a quick peck on the lips before he lifted Chris from the high chair. "Yeah; let's go see the animals." He said to his grinning son.

Mandy and Chris loved the Jungle Cruise, excitedly pointing out the different animals and sights that caught their attention.

"Mama! Look!" Mandy exclaimed, pointing towards the elephants playing in the water. "Waddat?"

"Those are elephants," Mac told her.

"Oh!" Mandy said as she bounced excitedly on her knees as her mother held her around the waist to keep her from toppling over the side of the boat.

Harm and Mac smiled at one another as the two toddlers happily took in their surroundings.

Mac saw the driver of the boat pull out the cap gun they used and told Harm to cover Chris' ears as she covered Mandy's. The driver went through his routine of shooting at the 'crocodiles' and then put the gun down, and Harm and Mac removed their hands from the kids' ears.

"Good thinking," he murmured.

Mac smiled. "I remembered that part from our trip to Disneyland at Christmas. They both cried for over an hour after that."

Harm winced at the memory and nodded.

When the boat ride was over, they made their way to the Enchanted Tiki Room and bought some pineapple ice shavings to share while they waited in line to enter for the show. Both Mandy and Chris loved the stuff and Harm didn't complain because it was actually something that was healthy. Mac just rolled her eyes at him and smiled when he gave her another spoon full.

By the time they were to meet the teenagers back on Main Street, both Mandy and Chris were sound asleep in their strollers. As soon as Mattie, Chloe, Troy and Josh had met them, everyone ordered ice cream to eat during the fireworks and they all settled into chairs in the patio area to watch the show.

After the fireworks were over, Mac asked the teenagers to stay with the sleeping toddlers while she and Harm did some shopping. Even though he wasn't a huge fan of shopping, Harm knew that his wife enjoyed it so he agreed to go with her. It didn't take Mac long to find what she wanted to purchase and soon they were all headed back to their rental home to get some sleep before they did the Animal Kingdom portion of Disney World the next day.


	89. Chapter 89

Thanks for all of the awesome reviews~ they are greatly appreciated! Sorry to keep you waiting, but some of my older stories have me stuck. I'm determined to finish them, regardless. Enjoy!

**23:32 EST**

**Rabb Rental Home**

**Orlando, FL**

Harm and Mac had just come out of the room Mandy and Chris were sharing, after having placed their sleeping children into their beds, to find all four teenagers sitting in the family room waiting for them.

"What's going on?" Harm asked the teens as he glanced at his wife.

"We've all talked it over and we were hoping we could change our vacation plans," Mattie said. "We'd like to spend another week here in Florida and then all of us can head home together. Then I thought maybe we could go and see Grampa Frank and Granma Trish for a couple of weeks or even go spend some time on the farm with Grammy Sarah."

Harm and Mac sat down and looked at each other before looking at each one of the teenagers in turn, studying their faces.

"I see," Harm said, letting out a breath. "And what brought about this sudden decision? I thought you were all excited about going to Mexico."

"We can go to Mexico some other time," Mattie shrugged. "Now that you're both retired, we can go during school breaks, or whenever we want."

"But Chloe is starting college and Josh is heading to the Academy at the end of summer," Mac said. "That will make it a lot harder to take vacations."

"With the exception of the last few days, Mandy and Chris haven't really been doing too well on vacation and we know it's made it hard for Mac to enjoy it. We can go to Mexico some other time; right now we're all more concerned with making sure you and the little ones are happy," Troy told them.

Mac sighed and looked at Harm. They had discussed this themselves, but had agreed to table it until the week was up. She knew the house they were renting was available for up to two more weeks, as the owners told them that no one else had booked it until after Independence Day. "We could see if the owners would let us stay through Independence Day," she suggested.

The teenagers all looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"What are we going to do around here for another two weeks?" Harm asked.

"Harm!" Mattie said in exasperation. "There's tons of stuff to do around here. There's Sea World and Universal Studios, The Kennedy Space Center, and there's all kinds of museums and shows, not to mention the beach isn't too far away and the malls, and there's a ton of places to play golf and~"

"Breathe Mats," Harm laughed, cutting her off. "I get the picture."

"Don't worry about us Harm, there's lots to do around here," Josh said.

Harm looked at Mac. "Okay then, we can call the owners tomorrow and see if we can rent the place for two more weeks."

Mac said good night to the teens and then made her way to the master bedroom.

"Thank you all for doing this," he said. "I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Don't worry about it sir," Troy said with a shrug. "It's what family does."

Harm raised an eyebrow at Mattie at this, but decided he'd discuss it with her later. "Good night you guys." He waited until everyone was in their appropriate rooms before he made his way to the master bedroom to get ready for bed himself.

**09:00 EST**

**Harbortown Marina**

**Cocoa Beach, FL**

**2 ½ weeks later**

"No boat!" Mandy said when she saw where her mother was carrying her from the rental van they had just unloaded.

"Mandy, we have to go on the boat to go home," Chloe told the stubborn toddler. "You want to go home, don't you?"

"Home?" Mandy asked with wide, hopeful eyes. "See Ampa an Amma?"

"That's right sweetie," Mac told her, lifting her up and kissing her cheek. "We're going to take the boat home and see Grandpa and Grandma."

"Go home," Mandy nodded, smiling happily. "Okay!"

Mac sighed as she kissed Mandy's cheek. "I don't know what to do about you, little girl," she said as she made her way onto the yacht and set the toddler on her feet near Chloe. "Keep an eye on her and don't let her get too close to the side please? I have to finish helping Harm load everything so we can get underway."

"No problem Mom," Chloe said with a grin.

Mac rolled her eyes, but smiled just the same, before she headed towards the van to get more stuff from the van to load onto the yacht. Chloe had taken to calling her 'Mom' in recent weeks, saying that Mac was the closest thing to a mother she had and if Mattie and the little ones got to call her Mom, it was only fair that she got to as well.

As soon as the boat was loaded and Harm had signed the paperwork for the man who had come to pick up the rental van, they got underway.

As soon as they were far enough from shore and Harm had set a course northward, he and the teenagers worked together to get the sails up and soon they were travelling at a nice pace. He left Troy and Mattie in charge in the pilot's cabin and he went and sat by Mac, Mandy and Chris, lifting his son up on his lap and kissing his cheek.

"Daddy, go home?" Mandy asked Harm.

"That's right Princess, we're going home," he told her.

Mandy smiled widely and bounced up and down on her feet, clapping happily. "Go home, go home, go home," she sang as she danced around in a circle.

Harm and Mac laughed at her antics and Harm put his free arm around his wife. "Someone's excited to be ending vacation early."

"You think?" Mac asked, shaking her head. "I feel bad the older kids are missing out on the rest of our vacation though," she sighed, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Not to mention that you didn't get much of a vacation at all with taking care of these two," Harm said, indicating the two toddlers.

"That's all right," Mac said with a small smile. "It's all part of being a mother and I wouldn't trade _that_ for anything in the world."

Harm smiled softly and kissed her temple. "I understand that," he said softly. "I'll make it up to you somehow. I love you."

"I love you too," Mac answered.

"Mama," Chris said, holding a slobbery fist out to her and smiling. "Wuvoo."

"I love you too, my little man," she said, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead.

Mandy ran over and held her arms up for Mac to pick her up and as soon as she was seated in her mother's lap, she looked up. "Kiss?" she asked.

Mac kissed her and rubbed their noses together. "And Mommy loves her sweet angel girl too," she said to the toddler.

"What do you say we feed these kids and put the little ones down for a n-a-p?" Harm asked.

"Sounds like a good plan to me Sailor," Mac replied, setting Mandy back on her feet and standing before she took her hand. "C'mon Mandy; let's go make lunch."

"Food! Yay!" Mandy cheered.

Harm rolled his eyes and laughed, shaking his head. "We've got to quit letting her spend so much time with Chloe."

"Hey! I heard that!" Chloe hollered indignantly.

Mac just chuckled as they went below deck.


	90. Chapter 90

Sorry for the delay~ trying to find a job during Christmas is not as easy as you might think! Thank you to everyone who has taken time to review; it is greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoy this part, too!

**18:23 EST**

**2****nd**** Street Marina**

**Annapolis, MD**

**Three weeks later**

"Ampa! Amma!" Mandy squealed excitedly when she saw her grandparents waiting on the dock as Harm maneuvered the yacht into its slip at the marina and Mac and the boys tied it off to keep it in place.

"Ampa! Amma!" Chris mimicked his sister, clapping happily.

Chloe and Mattie barely managed to hold onto the excited toddlers as AJ and Deanne stepped aboard the vessel and greeted Mac, Troy and Josh before making their way further onto the deck to say hello to Chloe, Mattie and Harm.

AJ took the excited little girl from Chloe as Mattie handed Chris to Deanne. "Hello cutie," he said to Mandy, who wrapped her arms around his neck in a near-choke hold and snuggled close to him. "I think she missed me," he smiled to Mac.

Mac gave him a rueful grin. "You have _no_ idea," she said, moving to stand beside him and rubbing Mandy's back. "We'll tell you all about it after we get everyone home."

AJ nodded in agreement and carried Mandy towards where the cars were parked, stopping just long enough to greet Chris and let Deanne say hello to Mandy.

"Okay, let's start unloading the yacht and putting everything in the cars so we can head home," Mac said to the older kids.

Deanne stayed in Mac's car with the two little ones while everyone else quickly unloaded the yacht and put the things into the back of AJ's Escalade and Mac's Pacifica before Harm went back to secure the yacht and check in with the Harbor Master. When he was through, he joined the family and they began the drive back to Clifton.

As they rode home with the teenagers in the back seats, AJ and Harm discussed the trip and why they had cut their trip short.

"I heard there's a hurricane headed towards the Gulf, so it's probably for the best anyway," Harm told his father-in-law.

AJ nodded his head in agreement. "I have something I need to discuss with you and Mac after you get everyone settled back in at home."

Harm looked at him with raised eyebrows and nodded. "Okay..."

AJ glanced in the rearview mirror at the teenagers that were talking animatedly about their vacation adventures before looking at Harm and shaking his head slightly.

Harm knew whatever it was AJ didn't want the teens to overhear, so he let it drop for the time being.

They pulled up in front of the Rabb home and the teenagers piled out of AJ's vehicle and waited for him to open the back so they could start unloading their belongings.

Mac and Deanne had taken the two little ones into the house and Deanne stayed to watch them while Mac went back to help everyone unload the vehicles and get everything situated.

When they were finished, Mac and the others went into the family room to find Mandy running around the house and checking everything out, babbling happily.

"Manny's house," she said every time she touched something in one of the rooms.

Chris happily toddled across the family room to stand and look out the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. He pointed outside and laughed. "Daddy! Wook!"

Harm grinned and made his way over to his son, lifting him up and nodding. "I see," he said. "Are you happy to be home big guy?"

Chris smiled at his father and struggled to be set down so he could go over and play with the toys in the toy box in the corner.

Mandy went to stand by the back door and look out and her eyes widened and she squealed happily, bouncing up and down and clapping happily. "Wawer!" she said loudly, looking up at her father. "Manny's wawer!"

Chloe and Mattie saw the secretive smiles on the faces of the adults and they moved to look out the back door.

"Oh my god; no way!" Chloe exclaimed, hugging Harm tightly.

"You guys had a pool put in?" Mattie asked, just as excited as Chloe was and also hugging her adopted father.

**20:15 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

"You are free to use it on two conditions," Harm told the teenagers as the boys had now joined them to see the pool. "First, you _never_ swim alone and second, you _always_ close the gate on the fence surrounding the pool so Mandy and Chris can't get in there without an adult."

"We promise," Mattie said, smiling widely at her dad. "This is so awesome! Thank you both!"

"Mac and I came up with the idea the day after you guys suggested we cancel our vacation early," Harm told them. "To make it up to you a little bit."

"You guys rock!" Chloe said. "Can we go swimming now?"

"For a little bit," Mac said. "It's getting late and I don't want you out there making noise and disturbing the neighbors after ten o'clock. Besides, we haven't had dinner yet so I'm going to order pizza and after we eat we have to get the babies settled in for the night."

The teens agreed and they all hugged Mac and thanked her for the pool before they made their way upstairs to put on their bathing suits.

Mac made her way to the kitchen to call in their pizza order and then she went back out into the family room to watch the babies play happily with their toys.

Mandy would take a toy and show it to AJ and Deanne who were sitting side by side in the loveseat, babbling happily to them before she would go over and get a new toy and repeat the process.

Mac eyed her mother and adopted father, noting that something seemed different about them.

"Harm said that Mandy and Chris didn't like vacation very much and were making it pretty miserable for you, which is why you all came home so early," AJ said to Mac.

Mac nodded. "They weren't sleeping properly, they were fussy all of the time and Mandy kept whining for 'Amma and Ampa'," Mac told them. "I think she really missed you," she said with a smile.

"We certainly missed our little darlings," Deanne said with a broad grin. "This place was awfully quiet without them."

Mandy came over to stand in front of Mac and Harm. "Daddy where Amma Tis an Ampa Fank?" she asked, holding her hands with the palms up in front of her and giving her parents a puzzled look. "Where Gammy?"

Mac looked at Harm with an 'uh-oh' expression.

"Grammy is at her house on the farm in Pennsylvania," Harm told the toddler. "Grandma Trish and Grandpa Frank are at their house in California."

Mandy frowned at this bit of news. "No," she said, shaking her head and making her auburn curls bounce. "Want here!"

Mac watched as the teenagers made their way through the family room and out to the backyard, all dressed in their swimsuits and carrying beach towels, as she listened to Harm talk to Mandy.

"We're going to go see Grammy in a week," he told her. "Then we might go see Grandpa Frank and Grandma Trish, too."

Mandy got a familiar look on her face and Harm pointed a long finger at her and gave her a stern look. "Do you want to go to time out and then bed?" he asked.

Mandy looked at him with wide eyes. "No," she said, shaking her head.

"Then you behave yourself," Harm told her. "Go play with your toys until it's time for dinner."

Mandy looked ready to say something but when she saw Harm shake his head, she deflated and nodded. "Okay." Making her way over to the toy box, she pulled out her doll and sat on the floor, pretending to feed it a bottle.

AJ and Deanne grinned at each other and then at Harm and Mac.

"You've got your hands full with that one," AJ commented. "But you handled it perfectly."

Harm shook his head and sighed. "Thanks. Most of the time she's a perfect angel, but we've learned if we aren't firm with her right from the beginning when she gets started, she gets out of control pretty quickly. It's easier to head her off than it is to calm her down."

The pizza arrived and Mac called the teens in for dinner and the family settled around the dining room table to eat and talk about their trip. After dinner, the teenagers went out to swim for a bit longer, promising to keep the noise level down, and Harm and Mac got the two youngest Rabb's bathed and settled into their beds before they joined Deanne and AJ downstairs again.

Mac stopped, her eyes wide with shock, just short of entering the family room and silently motioned for Harm to look in.

Harm did so and his eyes widened as he and Mac grinned at one another widely when they saw AJ and Deanne separating from a tender kiss and smiling at one another.

"Is this what you need to talk to us about?" Harm asked as he and Mac entered the room with broad smiles and sat down.

Deanne blushed and AJ shifted uncomfortably before shaking his head. "Well, we were planning to tell you that we've been seeing one another for the last month," he said. "But that's not what I needed to tell the two of you." He looked directly at them this time. "Clark Palmer is dead."


	91. Chapter 91

As always, THANK YOU to everyone that has taken time to review, even if I haven't gotten back to you personally. It really means a great deal to me and keeps me motivated. All mistakes are my own, as this saga has not been beta'd. Enjoy!

**21:45 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm and Mac exchanged a look and then looked back at AJ, Harm leaning forward slightly to put his forearms on his knees as he frowned slightly.

"Are they absolutely sure it's him?" he asked. "He's faked his death before."

AJ pursed his lips and nodded. "I flew to Leavenworth to provide the visual ID~ and I checked to be sure that the body wasn't wearing a mask~ and they also did a DNA test with blood from the heart during the autopsy to confirm that it really was him, as well. It is definitely Clark Palmer."

Harm felt Mac place a hand on his back and he looked at her before taking her hand in his. "Okay… how did he die?"

"You remember the man who tampered with the gas lines on the house?" AJ asked.

"William Phelps," Harm nodded. "He got a reduced sentence for cooperating with the authorities and Palmer got another twenty years added onto his sentence."

"Mmm. But Phelps still got sent to Leavenworth to serve his ten year sentence," AJ told them. "He apparently was very angry with Palmer when he arrived and told him that killing two adults for him was one thing, but killing innocent children was another matter altogether. Palmer was very excited to learn that you two had children and he started trying to recruit someone to help him kill them as soon as they were released, and he was offering a large amount of money to whoever was willing to do it. Apparently someone took exception to the fact that he was planning to have small children assassinated and they took Palmer out before he could find someone willing to do his dirty work. Someone strangled him to death during shower time while the guards were distracted when another inmate had a seizure. Whoever did it was strong enough to break his neck in three places."

Harm could feel Mac's hand trembling in his own and he glanced at her to see the same look of shock on her face that he was feeling. "Do they know who did it?"

AJ pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. "No one is talking. All anyone will say is that Palmer was trying to hire someone to kill your children, but no one is willing to out the person who killed him."

Mac rubbed her forehead and sighed. "I wish I could say I was sorry that whoever killed Palmer isn't going to be punished for it, but all things considered…"

AJ nodded in understanding. "I can understand that, Mac."

"Well, at least we can breathe easier and not have to worry about looking over our shoulders all the time now," Harm said with a small sigh.

"They haven't closed the investigation yet," AJ told them. "Whoever killed Palmer may still be caught, but I don't think anyone's going to lose any sleep over it if they never find out who did it."

Deanne had listened to the conversation in silence, not sure how she felt about the whole thing. AJ had filled her in on who this Clark Palmer person was, and what he'd put Harm and Mac through already, so the fact that they didn't seem too upset over his death made sense to her. "I think I'm going to head out to the apartment for the night," she said, standing. "I'll see you in the morning," she told Harm and Mac as she kissed Mac's cheek.

"I'll walk you out," AJ told her. "Night Harm, Mac."

"Good night you two," Mac said with a small smile.

"I'm going to go get the kids out of the pool," Harm said, heading towards the back door.

Mac nodded. "I'm going to head upstairs and start getting ready for bed."

Harm winked at her and opened the back door, stepping outside.

As soon as all of the teenagers were in the house, Harm went upstairs to start getting ready for bed himself. After he and Mac did one last check on the house to make sure that everyone was settled in bed for the night, they climbed into bed and snuggled up together.

"You okay?" Harm asked quietly after several minutes of silence.

"Mmm," Mac murmured, nodding. "You?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders I didn't even realize was there."

"I know what you mean," she told him. "So we can go to visit your grandmother and your parents and actually relax and enjoy our time with them."

Harm nodded and sighed. "Let's hope the little ones sleep through the night now that we're home. Are you going to keep nursing them?"

"I've been weaning Miranda again, even though she hasn't been happy about it," she told him. "Chris… I think I'll wait for a bit longer. He may be the last baby we have so I'm not in any hurry, you know?"

"Whatever you want to do is fine," Harm told her. "As far as Chris being our last baby… we still have options there, you know."

"I know," Mac sighed. "I… I'm not ready to even think about it, much less talk about it; not yet. Chris isn't even a year and a half so I'm not in any hurry."

"Okay," Harm nodded, hugging her closer and kissing the side of her neck. "When you're ready, I'll be here."

"Thank you," Mac said, turning in his embrace so that they were facing one another. "Now go to sleep; you get to get up if one of them wakes up in the middle of the night."

Harm chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. "Good night, Mac."

"Night Harm," Mac murmured softly.


	92. Chapter 92

As always, THANK YOU to everyone that takes time to review. I really do appreciate it and it keeps me motivated, even if I don't have the chance to respond individually. All mistakes are my own and in case I haven't mentioned it in a while~ I don't own JAG or its characters and I'm not doing this to make money. Enjoy!

**11:13 EST**

**Vietnam Memorial Wall**

**Washington, DC**

**Five months later**

Mac stood beside her husband as they saluted the immense dark stone wall and she smiled up at him before taking his hand to head back towards where they were parked. Their parents and Grammy Sarah were with their sleeping children back at their house. She and Harm had waited until they'd returned from the Christmas Eve service and gotten the kids to bed before heading to the Wall to pay their respects to his father.

They were nearly to their car when Mac stopped suddenly and frowned, looking around her in confusion.

"Mac," Harm asked his wife in concern, "what is it?"

"I could have sworn I heard a baby crying," she said, scanning the empty streets around her.

"Mac, it's freezing out here and it's really late on Christmas Eve," Harm said. "I think that you're~" he cut off and frowned; he heard it too.

Mac began to follow the sound and Harm stayed close to his wife as they made their way down a nearby alley. As they approached a dumpster in the alleyway, the sound of a baby's cries became slightly louder and Mac picked up her pace. Mac realized with horror that the sounds of the babies cries were coming from within the dumpster and she and Harm began to frantically search through the bags inside until Harm finally found the one they were looking for inside a cardboard box. Lifting the box out of the dumpster, Harm set it on the ground and fully opened the bag to find a newborn baby boy. Also inside the bag were a set of soiled sheets and the placenta from the birth.

"Oh my god," Mac exclaimed as her eyes filled with tears. "Harm~"

"I'll go get some blankets from the car and call the police and an ambulance," he said softly.

Mac lifted the baby from the bag, mindful that the contents were part of a crime scene now, and cuddled the tiny baby inside her coat, not caring if it was ruining the uniform she was wearing. "Hush; it's okay sweetheart," Mac said softly to the nearly blue child. He continued to cry, though his cries were growing very weak. "I've got you; you're safe now."

Mac scanned the area, fury at whoever could possibly do something like this to a helpless baby welling up within her. She saw no one around as she slowly made her way towards the street where it was much lighter and safer.

Harm returned and held one of the blankets he'd gotten from their car open so Mac could place the crying infant in it. He watched as she swaddled him in the blanket and then he helped her to wrap the other blanket around him as well. He had pulled the car up to the end of the alley so the police and ambulance could find them easier and he opened the back door so that Mac could climb inside the vehicle with the baby where the heater was running.

After about ten minutes Mac noticed that the baby's color wasn't improving and he was still crying softly.

"I don't think he's warm enough in the blankets," she told Harm. "His body doesn't have enough of its own heat to warm him up even with the blankets on." She opened her coat and began unbuttoning her uniform jacket and blouse. "I'm going to use my body heat to warm him up."

Harm nodded as he carefully removed the outer blanket the baby was wrapped in and held it in front of Mac, shielding her from anyone who might be outside.

Mac unwrapped the baby from the other blanket and grabbed one of the emergency diapers from the seat back. "This is going to be way too big for him but at least it'll keep me dry if he decides to pee." She secured the diaper the best she could and then lifted the tiny baby in her arms and placed him against her chest, closing her uniform blouse and jacket and her coat over them the best she could without smothering him. She accepted the blanket Harm held over her and held the child close, speaking to him in soothing tones.

Five minutes later, Mac peeked under the blanket and her clothing to see that he was regaining his color and had fallen asleep. Making sure he was covered again, she looked at Harm. "Who could do something like this?" she whispered.

Harm shook his head, his eyes as troubled as her own. "I don't know, Mac."

Mac swallowed back her angry tears as the lights of a police car shown through the windows. Harm asked her to wait inside with the baby while he dealt with the officers and climbed out of the car.

After he explained the situation to the officers and led them down the alley so he could show them the bag and box they'd found the baby in, the officers then followed him back to his vehicle. Harm opened the back door and Mac made sure the baby was shielded from the icy air that suddenly filled the car.

"My wife has him next to her skin," Harm was telling the officers. "He wasn't warming up on his own with just the blankets."

"Ma'am," the female officer said, nodding. "I need to see him and I need to get your statement as well."

The male officer nodded as Mac moved across the seat to the other side and allowed the female officer to climb into the vehicle with her. Harm closed the door and stood with his back to the window as Mac turned on the cabin light and turned with her own back towards the window she was sitting beside.

"I'm Officer Thorne," the woman said to Mac, watching as she moved the blanket and carefully opened her clothing enough for her to see the tiny baby.

"Is this okay? I don't want to disturb him now that he's sleeping," Mac said.

"This is fine," Officer Thorne nodded, looking the baby over with a critical eye and checking to be sure he was breathing. "Was the diaper on him when you found him?"

Mac shook her head. "No; I used one of my son's~ he's eighteen months old, so it's huge on him, but at least it'll keep us both dry."

The officer smiled and nodded. "You can cover him back up now," she told Mac. "Can you tell me what happened?" she asked, pulling out her notebook and pen.

Mac told the officer everything, starting from the time they left the Wall until the time the officers had shown up. When she finished, she sighed and shook her head. "I don't understand how anyone could do this."

The officer gave her a tight, sad smile and shook her head.

The sound of sirens and the arrival of more flashing lights alerted them to the arrival of the ambulance so Officer Thorne asked Mac to follow her.

Mac wrapped the blanket around her so that she could still hold the baby close to her and stay covered as Harm helped her climb out of the car. They both followed Officer Thorne to the ambulance and the police officer explained the situation to the waiting paramedics who then asked Mac to follow them around to the back of the ambulance.

Harm went with her and they were both ushered into the back of the ambulance with one of the paramedics while the other closed the doors and went to speak to the officers first on the scene.

Harm took the blanket from her shoulders as she carefully maneuvered the tiny baby so that she could remove him from the warmth of her body to lay him in the waiting portable incubator. He immediately awoke and began crying when she did and Mac looked up at the medic helplessly while she buttoned up her clothing.

The medic began to work swiftly and methodically, checking the tiny infant's vital signs, weighing and measuring him and then replacing the huge diaper surrounding him with a smaller one before he started an IV and then closed the top of the incubator and turned on the warming light.

"We're going to take him to GWU Hospital," the paramedic told them. "Child Protective Services will probably send an emergency case worker in the morning but the officers that were first on the scene will follow us and stay with him until someone from CPS arrives to take custody of him."

Harm and Mac nodded and they headed towards the rear doors to leave the vehicle. Mac paused and looked back, hesitating slightly before she followed Harm out the door. The paramedic nodded to them and closed the door and the vehicle drove off a few moments later.

The officer's told them that they could go on home and after giving them their phone numbers and requesting they be kept informed about the baby's condition and case, Harm and Mac climbed into their car and headed home.


	93. Chapter 93

As always, THANK YOU to everyone who takes the time out to review! I appreciate very, very much, even if I can't/don't reply individually. All mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

**09:00 EST**

**DC Metro Police Station**

**Washington, DC**

**Three days later**

Harm and Mac sat in the police station and spoke to the officers that had been first on the scene on Christmas Eve when they had found the newborn baby boy in a trash dumpster.

"We found his mother," Officer Thorne told them. "Her body was found six blocks away in an alley; she'd been shot point-blank in the head."

"We think she may have been a prostitute," the male officer, Officer Blaylock, told them. "She was also only fifteen years old."

Harm and Mac looked at one another before Harm took Mac's hand. "Have you been able to identify her and notify her family?" he asked.

"Her fingerprints came back with a negative match; we have people looking through missing person's records that match her description," Officer Thorne said. "We're thinking she was probably a runaway."

"That poor child," Mac murmured.

"It's likely her pimp dumped the baby after she gave birth," Officer Blaylock said. "We think she may have tried to fight him and he killed her. Of course, that's just a theory right now, but it seems logical considering the physical evidence so far."

"How is the baby doing?" Harm asked finally.

"He's in the NICU at George Washington University Hospital," Officer Thorne said. "He's having some trouble, I'm afraid. So far he's been allergic to every kind of formula they've tried to feed him."

"Can we go and see him?" Mac asked.

"I'll call CPS and find out for you," Officer Thorne said. "I don't see why you couldn't."

Mac thanked her and sat in silent contemplation while Officer Thorne called CPS and Harm spoke to Officer Blaylock about the case.

"You okay?" Harm finally asked her softly, when Officer Blaylock had to go take a phone call.

"Yeah," Mac said, nodding. Before he could question her further, Officer Thorne returned.

"The baby's case worker is going to be at the hospital in thirty minutes," she told them. "If you can meet her there, she'll allow you to see him for a few minutes."

"Thank you," Mac said standing and shaking the woman's hand. "We appreciate it."

Officer Thorne nodded. "My pleasure," she said before leaving them alone.

Harm and Mac made their way out to their vehicle and then headed over to the hospital in relative silence. Harm was concerned by Mac's silent behavior, but figured she was probably just trying to take in everything they'd learned today.

By the time they had parked the car and found the NICU, they only had to wait about ten minutes before the case worker showed up.

"Commander Rabb, this is a surprise," a woman's voice said as she approached.

Harm and Mac looked up and Harm smiled slightly. "Mrs. Saunders," he said. "It's actually Admiral Rabb now and I'm retired, so just call me Harm," he said with a smile. "This is my wife, Sarah," he told her, motioning towards Mac.

Mrs. Saunders looked surprised and then smiled again. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Rabb," she said, shaking Mac's hand.

"Please, call me Sarah," Mac told her, smiling.

"Of course," she said. "You are the couple that found Baby Boy Doe?"

Harm nodded and told her the story. "We're very concerned about what happens to him," he told her. "Has he been appointed a guardian yet?"

Mrs. Saunders shook her head. "Until the mother is identified and we find her family, he's officially a ward of the court."

Mac and Harm nodded in understanding. "Can we see him?" Mac asked.

Mrs. Saunders smiled and nodded. "Let me speak to them first and then I'll come and get you."

Harm and Mac took their seats again and waited until Mrs. Saunders came for them. Then she led them into the room where they put on paper gowns and washed their hands before being admitted to the NICU.

Mac stood before the incubator and looked at the small baby and frowned slightly. "He's lost weight," she said.

The nurse seemed surprised but she nodded. "He's had an allergic reaction to every formula we've tried so far," she said softly. "Even the soy formulas, I'm afraid. We still have a few more to try, so we're not giving up hope."

Mac nodded and reached her hand out, pausing and then dropping it. "Can I touch him?" she asked with pleading eyes.

The nurse smiled sympathetically and nodded, opening one of the ports on the side so that Mac could put her hand through.

Mac tenderly stroked the baby's cheek and down his arm, smiling when he gripped her finger in his tiny hand. "Hey little guy," she said softly. "You hang in there and keep fighting, okay?"

The baby opened his eyes and looked in the direction of her voice.

Mac moved closer to the incubator and gave him a tremulous smile. "Hello there," she said.

The baby blinked his eyes at her and stared at her for several moments.

Mac removed her finger from his hand and gently rubbed his abdomen, and in a few minutes he'd closed his eyes and gone back to sleep. Swallowing hard, Mac forced herself to remove her hand and she looked at Harm. "Did you want to touch him?" she asked.

Harm nodded slightly and they traded places, and then he put his large hand into the port and began to lightly stroke the little boy inside the incubator, silently examining him as he did so. "You keep fighting, all right?" he said to the baby, just before he removed his hand and stepped out of the way so the nurse could close the incubator back up.

"Would it be possible for us to come see him again?" Mac asked Mrs. Saunders. "At least until his family is found? He shouldn't have to be all alone."

Mrs. Saunders considered the request for a moment before smiling and nodding. "I think that would be all right," she said. "I'll make arrangements with the hospital staff."

"Thank you," Mac said, relaxing and smiling in relief.

"We need to get home to our own children," Harm said, nodding to her. "Thank you for everything." He took Mac's hand and led her from the room.

Mrs. Saunders watched them go with a thoughtful look on her face. She had worked with Harm in the past, as she had been Mattie's replacement case worker when her initial worker had to take personal time due to a family emergency, so she knew about him. His wife seemed familiar as well, but the last time she'd worked with him, he hadn't been married, so she knew it couldn't be because of that.

She spoke to the nurse and then made the necessary arrangements to allow the Rabb's to visit Baby Boy Doe whenever they wanted to before heading towards her car. She had just started the ignition when it clicked; she knew where she knew Mrs. Rabb from. She had been Lt. Col. Sarah Mackenzie of the JAG's office and she had been the one to stand up as a character witness for then-Commander Rabb as he tried to get custody of Mattie Grace Johnson. If she remembered correctly, it had been Colonel Mackenzie's speaking to Mattie's father and convincing him to let Harm take in the girl that had made it possible for Harm to become her guardian.

She made a mental note to look into the Rabb's when she returned to her office.


	94. Chapter 94

**Hello again! I am terribly sorry that I am not updating this regularly! I have really been 'stuck' with my older stories and have gotten involved in another fandom and just haven't had the inspiration for this story. :-( Also, my baby (and only) sister passed away in November and after losing my husband three years ago, it just devastated me. I am bound and determined to finish this story however, so even if the posts aren't regular, I WILL someday get it finished! I appreciate all of you who review and thank you all for sticking with me! God bless!**

**15:56 EST**

**GWU Hospital NICU**

**Washington, DC**

**Two days later**

Mrs. Saunders smiled when she entered the NICU and saw Mrs. Rabb sitting in the rocking chair holding Baby Boy Doe and talking softly to him. She was still concerned that the doctors had been unable to find a formula that his stomach could tolerate, but she was certain they'd be able to come up with a solution. She walked over and spoke quietly to the nurse on duty and then moved to speak to Mrs. Rabb.

"How are you today Sarah?" she asked as she took a seat opposite the lovely woman.

"Fine Mrs. Saunders; how are you?" Mac asked with a smile.

"All right," she said with a nod. "I'm afraid we have good news and bad news regarding that little guy," she told her, nodding to the infant in her arms.

Mac looked at her expectantly.

"We've located his birth mother's family," she told her. "The bad news is that his mother was in and out of foster homes her whole short life because her father is a gang member from Baltimore currently serving a double life sentence for murder and her mother has been arrested many times over the years for everything from petty theft to buying drugs, to prostitution. She's currently eight months into a ten year sentence for having been caught buying heroine from an undercover cop. There are no other family members, since the girl's maternal grandmother died two years ago of a stroke."

"Who's going to pay to bury her?" Mac asked.

"The government will pay for her to be cremated," Mrs. Saunders said with a shrug.

Mac frowned slightly as she looked down at the baby boy in her arms. "No," she said softly. "After the life she lived and the way she died, she deserves more… I'll pay for a funeral. Please find out what I need to do to take care of that."

Mrs. Saunders blinked in surprise. "Sarah… you do know that even a small funeral can cost thousands of dollars?"

Mac looked up at the social worker, her eyes determined. "I know; Harm and I will take care of it."

"Take care of what?" Harm's voice asked from behind the two women just before he leaned down to kiss his wife and then sat in the chair beside the rocker Mac was sitting in.

Mac quickly told him what Mrs. Saunders had told her and what she wanted to do.

"Absolutely," Harm nodded, looking at Mrs. Saunders. "Just let us know who we need to speak to and we'll take care of everything."

Mrs. Saunders got a small smile on her face as she looked at the Rabb's. "Very well then," she said.

Harm looked at Mac and then back at the social worker. "Would it be possible for us to petition to become his guardians?"

"That would depend," Mrs. Saunders said carefully. "Would you like to petition to become his foster parents with the intent to adopt or do you just want guardianship until someone else can be found to adopt him? I don't know if the nurses have told you, but we have strong evidence that his mother was a drug user even though she seemed to have been clean when she died. His allergies to the infant formulas could be just the beginning of many long term health issues for him as he grows older."

"Would that make finding him an adoptive family more difficult?" Mac asked her.

"Yes," she nodded. "These kids typically wind up in foster care for their entire lives and the government picks up the tab on their care. Occasionally someone will adopt them, but it isn't very common, I'm afraid. Most people want healthy children with no issues to complicate their lives."

"If we petitioned to become his foster parents with the intent to adopt, would that give us a better chance of being able to adopt him?" Harm asked. "Also, what all is involved in that? Is it difficult to become a foster family?"

"The answer to the first question is yes, becoming his foster parents with intent to adopt gives you a much better chance of adopting him. I think it depends on your definition of 'difficult' as to whether or not it is hard to become a foster family. Since you've already successfully been Mattie Grace's guardian and have adopted her, you have that in your favor; you won't have any trouble passing the background checks. I would have to come do a check of your home to make sure that it is safe and meet your other children and family members, but I have no doubts that you would have no trouble passing that. You would both have to be certified in CPR and basic first aid specifically for infants and small children and you would have to take some classes that are required to become foster parents."

"We're both already certified in CPR and basic first aid," Mac told her. "We were certified through the Navy and the Marines for adults, but when we adopted Mandy we took a class specifically for infants and children through the American Red Cross."

"Well then," Mrs. Saunders smiled. "The rest of it should be a breeze. Are you two interested in doing this?"

Mac looked at Harm and he saw the answer in her gaze before he smiled and nodded. "Yes, we are. How soon can we start the process?"

"Well, you two could petition to become his emergency guardians while he's in the hospital," she told them. "That will give you time to get through the certification process to become licensed foster parents, because until the issue with him being unable to eat anything is resolved, he won't be going anywhere."

Mac glanced at Harm, who nodded, before she looked at Mrs. Saunders again. "Actually, I may have an answer to that dilemma as well."

"Oh," Mrs. Saunders asked clearly intrigued.

"As I've mentioned, we adopted our daughter Mandy who is two and a half now," Mac told her. "We knew in advance that we'd be adopting her, so I started taking hormone shots so that I could nurse her when she was born and it worked out wonderfully. Mandy is completely weaned now, but our biological child, Christopher, is still nursing twice a day. Since this little guy is having so much difficulty with formula, I was going to suggest that I start nursing him and see if he has better luck in tolerating that."

Mrs. Saunders blinked at them for a moment before she smiled widely. "We would have to speak to his doctor, but that might be a viable solution to the problem."

Mac smiled at her and handed the baby to the nurse who came to check his vital signs.

Mrs. Saunders asked the nurse if she could call his doctor so that she could speak to him.

As soon as the nurse had finished checking him over, she handed him to Harm and smiled. "I believe you've been waiting for a while now to hold this little guy."

Harm smiled and nodded as he took the infant from her and held him close, murmuring soothingly to him in quiet tones.

"You seem to be a pro at that," Mrs. Saunders smiled at Harm.

Harm returned her smile. "Well, we adopted Mandy and then had Christopher a year later, so I guess I kind of am a pro now."

"Are you planning to have any more biological children of your own?" she asked the couple before her and felt a stab of guilt when she saw the sad look that passed between them.

"It's unlikely," Mac told her. "When I got pregnant after we adopted Mandy I was originally going to have triplets, but I have~ had~ endometriosis and so I miscarried two of the babies. We managed to save Chris, but when I gave birth I started hemorrhaging badly and nearly died, so they had to do a complete hysterectomy to save my life. The doctor saved my eggs and froze them, so if we want to have any more biological children we can; we would just have to find a surrogate to carry the child for us."

"I'm so sorry," Mrs. Saunders said softly.

Mac smiled somewhat wistfully. "I believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe Chris is meant to be the only biological child we have so that children who might not otherwise have a loving home have the chance to have one with us."

"That's a very good way to look at it," Mrs. Saunders said with a smile.

Harm looked at Mac and winked before turning his attention back to the baby in his arms.


	95. Chapter 95

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Also, thank you all for your kind words of comfort and condolence~ I appreciate it. Enjoy...**

**16:39 EST**

**GWU Hospital NICU**

**Washington, DC**

Mrs. Saunders stood as the doctor entered and Harm placed the baby boy back into the incubator so that the doctor could examine him before moving to stand beside Mac.

After he had examined him, the doctor listened to Mrs. Saunders explain to him Mac's idea of trying to nurse him since they had been unable to find a suitable infant formula for him.

"I think it is definitely worth a try if you're sure you want to do this," the doctor said to Mac. "Are you sure you understand what all is involved?"

Mac smiled and nodded. "My younger daughter, Mandy, was in the NICU for a time after she was born and she was adopted so I had been taking hormone shots in order to be able to nurse her. She's been completely weaned now, but my son, Chris, is still nursing twice a day so my body is still producing milk and I have frozen milk that I could bring for use when I can't be here."

The doctor nodded thoughtfully and then smiled at her. "Well in that case, can you bring some of the frozen milk so we can try him out on it? If he tolerates it you can start trying to nurse him as soon as you're ready."

"If you have a pump I can borrow and a room where I could have some privacy I can leave some with you before I go," Mac told him.

"Even better," he agreed with a nod and asked the nurse to handle the arrangements. "We'll let you know tomorrow how he tolerated it and you can come whenever you're ready to start trying to get him to nurse."

Mac agreed and the doctor updated them all on his condition before he left again.

"I'm going to go ahead and go," Mrs. Saunders told them. "I'll contact you as soon as I find out who you need to speak to about the funeral arrangements for his mother and hopefully I'll have been able to get the ball rolling on getting the two of you certified to be foster parents."

"I'll get the process started to petition for us to become his emergency guardians as well," Harm told her.

"Sounds like a good plan," she smiled before she said goodbye to them both.

The nurse brought Mac the electric breast pump and took her to a room where she could have some privacy to use it before returning to find Harm standing over the incubator looking down at the baby boy inside.

"He needs a name," Harm murmured. "Baby Boy Doe just sounds so…" he trailed off and sighed.

"I agree," she told him with a smile. "What would you name him?"

"Well, I would have to get my wife's approval, but I like the name Nicholas," Harm said. "After all, we found him on Christmas."

The nurse nodded. "I like that."

Harm took a seat in the rocker and watched the sleeping baby for a while until his wife returned and handed the nurse the case that contained the pump and a full bottle of milk.

"I have my own pump to use at home," she told the nurse. "I'll call to see how he tolerated this before I bring the frozen milk in."

"Good idea," the nurse said with a nod.

"What is your name?" Mac asked. "I'm sorry I forgot to ask."

"Janette," the woman replied.

"I'm Mac and this is Harm," Mac told her. "It's nice to meet you, Janette. I assume Libby is going to be off for a few days?"

"She has three days off," Janette nodded. "We work three twelve hour shifts and then have three days off, so our schedules are always rotating."

"That has to be difficult," Mac said sympathetically.

"Once you get used to it, it's not bad," Janette replied. "You learn to plan your appointments and such around your schedule. It actually works out to give us more time with our families than we might get if we worked a schedule that other people would consider normal."

Mac nodded thoughtfully as she watched Janette put the breast milk into smaller containers and fill a large syringe with some before placing the containers into the small refrigerator near the incubator that the baby was sleeping in.

Janette took the large syringe filled with breast milk and removed the cap that protected the end of the feeding tube before attaching the syringe and slowly depressing the plunger to send the milk into his stomach. She took her time and when the syringe was empty she removed it from the feeding tube and tossed it into the trash. Then she cleaned the end of the tube and put the cap back on.

"Well, let's hope that his little stomach can handle that," she smiled at them. "If he's going to have a reaction, it will likely be within the next thirty minutes."

Mac looked at her watch and sighed. "We really should be getting home," she said. "We need to feed our other children and get them ready for bed soon."

"I understand," Janette nodded. "You can call to check on him later, if you'd like."

"We will," Harm promised. He stopped for a minute and looked at Mac. "I was thinking that this little guy needs a name," he told her. "I hate that he's called Baby Boy Doe."

Mac nodded in agreement. "Did you have a name in mind?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well," Harm said grinning sheepishly at her. "We found him on Christmas and I've always liked the name… I was thinking Nicholas."

Mac smiled and then nodded slowly. "I think Nicholas is wonderful."

"Do you have a middle name you like?" Harm asked.

Mac bit her top lip. "Why don't we wait and see what happens before we take it that far? For now, Nicholas is sufficient."

Harm blinked at her but nodded in agreement and reached into the incubator to stroke the baby's soft cheek. "We'll see you tomorrow, Nick."

Mac leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Good night, Nicholas."

Janette grinned at them and made some notes on his chart as the Rabb's left the NICU.

**18:00 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

Harm and Mac entered their house and Mandy ran in to meet them, throwing her arms around her mother's knees.

"Mommy," the toddler exclaimed. She looked up and held her hands palms up in front of her. "Where you go?"

Mac smiled and knelt down to her level. "We went to the hospital to see baby Nicholas."

Mandy frowned. "Our baby?"

"We hope so Princess," Harm said also kneeling down to be closer to her level.

Chris came toddling up to them and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, smiling broadly. "Daddy!"

"Hey ya Sport," Harm grinned, kissing his son's cheek before wrapping his arms around him and standing up.

"Up Mommy," Mandy demanded and Mac raised an eyebrow at her. "Peease?"

Mac chuckled and wrapped her arms around the toddler before she, too, stood up.

"How was the baby today?" Deanne asked as she stood nearby watching the family.

"He's lost weight and still isn't able to take any of the formulas they've tried," Mac told her. "But we're hoping my solution will work and that will change. I've offered to nurse him and gave them some breast milk before I left to start him on to see if he tolerates it."

Deanne blinked in surprise but nodded. "Do you think it'll work?"

"I hope so," Mac sighed. "It's so hard to see him wasting away like that."

"I can't imagine," Deanne said. "These two have already been fed and are just awaiting baths and bedtime."

"No seep," Mandy exclaimed, glaring at her grandmother. "No seep Am-ma Dee."

"Miranda Joy," Harm said in a low, warning tone.

Mandy glanced at him and then sighed and looked at her grandmother. "Sowwy."

"I accept your apology," Deanne smiled.

"Why don't we bathe these two and get their jammies on," Mac suggested to her husband. "We can spend some time with them before lights out."

Harm nodded his agreement and they carried their children upstairs to get them ready for bed. As soon as they were both bathed and dressed in pajamas, they took them to the family room and sat with them on the sofa to read them a story.

Chris sat on his mother's lap and fidgeted often not really listening to his father as he read, but Miranda sat on Harm's lap looking at the pictures and listening to every word Harm said as he read the story to them.

Chris began burrowing beneath Mac's shirt and she gave Harm a rueful look before she tossed the blanket over them and allowed him to nurse.

Mandy was yawning widely by the end of the story so Harm held her so that Mac could kiss her before he carried her up the stairs to her bed.

Mac sat on the sofa until Chris finally drifted off to sleep and then she carried him up the stairs. Harm was just coming out of Mandy's room and he took his son from his wife and carried him into his bedroom, carefully putting him into the toddler bed they had specially made to look like an F-14 Tomcat.

After checking in on Mattie and calling the hospital to find out that Nicholas had so far managed to keep the breast milk down after two feedings, Harm and Mac made their way to the kitchen and got dinner for themselves before cleaning up the dishes and then heading up to bed.

"I love you," Mac murmured softly as she snuggled close to her husband.

"I love you too," Harm smiled. "Goodnight Mac."

"Goodnight Harm," she sighed. In no time at all they were sound asleep.


	96. Chapter 96

**Thank you to everyone that reads this story and a special thanks to all who take time out to review! You are all greatly appreciated! Like I've said, I am determined to finish this epic some day, so please hang in there as I battle with my muse! Enjoy...**

**14:26 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Clifton, VA**

**Five weeks later**

Mac carried Nicholas into the house and up the stairs to their room and placed him into the cradle that Mandy and Chris had both used when they had first come home. As soon as he was settled, she turned to hug Harm.

"I'm so happy we finally got to bring him home," she said softly.

"Me too," Harm nodded.

In the weeks since they had talked to Mrs. Saunders, they had been granted emergency guardianship and had gone through the process of becoming licensed foster parents before petitioning to become Nicholas' foster parents with intent to adopt. They had to wait six months before they could officially petition to adopt him, but Harm was sure that they wouldn't have any problems.

Mac's solution to nurse Nicholas had been just what was needed to save the baby's life and since she'd begun nursing him and providing a steady supply of expressed milk, he had begun to thrive and had even started putting on weight. The doctor had ordered a protein supplement for him which they mixed with breast milk and that had helped him enormously as well.

Mac grabbed the baby monitor and made sure both units were turned on before she and Harm headed down the stairs to be with the rest of the family.

Like they had said they would, Harm and Mac had paid for Nicholas' birth mother to be buried and had held a small graveside service for the girl at a local cemetery in which AJ, Deanne and Bud and Harriet Roberts had attended.

Mattie was now a senior in high school and was busy with all the things that entailed and she was currently at school. The closer it came to spring, the busier she was getting as she had senior projects due, prom coming up and graduation to prepare for. She had applied to the University of London in Paris, France, that was her first choice, but had also applied at Georgetown University and USC.

AJ and Deanne were there since they had stayed with Mandy and Chris while Harm and Mac had gone to the hospital to pick up Nicholas.

Harriet had come over with the twins so that they could play with Mandy and Chris and she could help AJ and Deanne, since Bud was at work, little AJ was in school and Jimmy was at his pre-k class.

Frank, Trish and Grammy Sarah were all due to fly in in a few weeks' time so that they could come and meet the newest member of the Rabb clan.

Harm and Mac entered the family room and smiled at the children playing quietly in the play area. Harm had bought an indoor inflatable 'bouncy house' that the kids all adored and the four children were all currently jumping up and down inside of it or sliding down the slide only to rush around and climb back in laughing and squealing happily.

Mac's eyes widened when Chris toppled out of the play structure and down the slide head first, but he rolled and stood up and ran to rejoin the others laughing the entire time. Shaking her head she took a seat beside her husband.

"I figure if they aren't bleeding or crying then they're fine," Harriet told her with a small smile. "Of course, I have three boys."

Mac laughed and nodded. "I can hardly wait for spring so they can start to play outside more. It's hard to have to keep them inside, just because it's too cold to take them outdoors."

"Tell me about it," Harriet nodded. "Jimmy loves to play in the snow, but it's hard to be outdoors in the cold for very long and I don't want them all to end up sick constantly."

"Mandy and Chris love to play in the snow too, but I know what you mean. A couple of weeks ago both Mandy and Chris had colds and we barely got any sleep for five days. Now we have an infant in the house again and the last thing I want is for them all to get sick," Mac said.

"Did Mattie avoid getting sick?" Harriet asked.

"No, but she's a lot less demanding than two toddlers," Mac smiled ruefully. "We just made sure she had water, medicine and tissues and she stayed in bed and slept most of the time. Harm made some of Grammy's homemade chicken soup for everyone so Mattie ate that, but she would get up and make her own food when she felt up to eating most of the time. Mandy and Chris cried and wanted to be held all of the time. They refused to eat and getting them to take their medicine was a battle, too."

Harriet smiled sympathetically. "Thank goodness flu season is almost past; I'm ready for the warm weather again."

"We all got flu shots this year so we managed to avoid that particular nastiness, thank heavens," Mac said.

"So are you going to have Nicholas christened before the adoption or afterwards?" AJ asked Harm, changing the subject.

"We're actually planning it for about a month from now," Harm replied. "My parents and Grammy Sarah will be here then. We want to do it while Mattie is still at home, too."

"Has she heard from any of the universities she applied to?" Deanne asked. "I haven't seen her for more than five minutes recently to ask her."

"She hasn't said anything to us if she has," Mac replied. "I haven't seen anything in the mail for her yet, either. She is really hoping to be accepted to the one in Paris; she certainly has good enough grades. Did we tell you that she's been chosen the Valedictorian for her senior class?"

"No, you haven't mentioned it; that's wonderful!" Harriet exclaimed. "She certainly deserves it for as hard as she has worked."

Harm smiled his agreement. "The principal called us and told us that she's also been chosen for three awards and at least two scholarships; they're waiting to hear about a third."

AJ and Deanne were smiling proudly. "That is really great," he said.

The doorbell rang and Mac looked curiously at Harm as he stood. "Are we expecting someone?"

Harm shrugged and shook his head negatively as he made his way to the door. They could hear muffled voices from the living room and a few moments later Harm returned, smiling as their visitor preceded him into the family room.

"Wiwy!" Miranda squealed from the play area and she ran over to throw her arms around the young blonde woman. "I miss you," she said as she looked up at Lily and smiled at her.

"I miss you too," Lily said, kneeling down to be closer to Mandy's eye level. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Mandy grinned. "See?" she asked her, pointing towards the bouncy house in the play area.

"I see," Lily nodded. "That looks like fun."

"Pay wif us?" Mandy asked. "Peease?"

"Maybe later sweetie," Lily said, kissing the toddler's forehead.

Mandy sighed and nodded. "Okay," she said before running back over to play with the others.

Chris slid down the slide and made his way over to Lily, smiling at her and holding his hands up. "Up Iwy," he grinned at her. "Up!"

Lily laughed and knelt down to his level so she could hug him. "Hey big guy; I've missed you!"

"Up!" he demanded again.

"How about if I sit down and you come sit on my lap instead?" Lily asked him, standing and moving to sit in a chair. She held her arms out and pulled Chris onto her lap.

Mac raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, what's up?" she asked with a smile. "You always just pick him right up."

Lily smiled at her. "Well… Jack and I just found out that we're going to have a baby," she said.

"What?!" Mac squealed happily. "Oh Lily, I'm so happy for you!"

Harm was grinning broadly as Mac moved to hug Lily. He went over and gave her a warm hug too, congratulating her and shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe Jack Keeter is going to be a father."

"A lot of people thought that about you once," Mac grinned at him.

Harm laughed at that. "Yeah, I guess they did."

Lily pulled a small photo album out of her purse and handed it to Mac. "I actually was coming over to give you this," she said. "It's a miniature version of our wedding album. You had said you wanted some photos from the wedding and you liked our album so much, that when I found out they made them in smaller versions, I decided to get one for you."

"Oh Lily," Mac smiled as she went through the album, "thank you; these are beautiful."

The baby monitor came to life and Harm picked it up and looked at the black and white screen that showed Nicholas, finding that the baby was awake and starting to fuss. The new baby monitor with a camera built in was a recent purchase and Harm wished they had been available when Mandy and Chris were infants. "I better go and change his diaper and bring him down to be fed," he said as he stood and headed for the stairs.

Lily's eyes lit up. "I didn't know you brought Nick home! When did that happen?"

"About an hour and a half ago," Mac smiled. "We're pretty excited."

"I bet," Lily said. "I also wanted to offer to take Mandy and Chris for the weekend, if you're interested."

"What did Jack say to that?" Mac asked in surprise.

"It was actually his idea," Lily grinned. "He loves having them around."

Mac chuckled. "Let me clear it with Harm first, but I think that will be fine."

Harm came down the stairs with Nick and everyone fawned over him for a few minutes before he started wanting to be fed.

Mac sat on the sofa with him and tossed a blanket over them so she could nurse and Lily asked Harm about her and Jack taking Mandy and Chris for the weekend.

Harm agreed and Lily told them she would call the next day to finalize the plans before saying goodbye to everyone and heading out.

Harriet was just rounding up her two, since it was time to pick Jimmy up from his pre-k class and little AJ was due home from school soon, when Mattie walked in the door with a wide smile.

"Guess what!" she exclaimed waving a letter in the air. "I got accepted to the University of London in Paris!"


End file.
